The Chances
by Pikaskye
Summary: What were the chances that a Dragon Slayer prince and a Celestial Spirit mage bandit would stumble into each other and before they knew it, fell in love? The problem is, the Prince has got to marry a girl in a month, and his parents sure won't accept a bandit as a bride! NaLu! GaLe, JeRza, RoWen, GrUvia!
1. Married in a month

"You are getting married. Next month."

Natsu Dragneel, Prince of the Dragneel kingdom, was training hard in his training room, that long smelled of sweat and trash. He pounded into the punching bag, once, twice, three times, until the two hundred and fifty pound bag fell of its hook. The pink-haired prince sighed, and moved to put it back up.

A pretty maid by the name of Annabelle appeared in the doorway. "Sir?"

Natsu turned to look at the girl, disinterested. She blushed and did a quick bow, "Lord Dragneel, your Father, wishes to see you in the dining hall to enjoy dinner with them." she remained there, waiting for orders.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "He wishes, or does he demand?"

The servant flushed. "He says, in quote, 'Natsu Dragneel, if I do not see you down here properly dressed and fine-smelling in five minutes I shall chop of your head and feed it to the guard dogs.'" As a second thought, she added, "unquote."

"Fine, fine, I'll be there. Tell him that." The maid zoomed off.

The pink-haired prince stopped his training and picked up his discarded vest. It didn't smell all that great and it was wrinkled, so he sighed and went to the closet, [especially built inside the room for after his sessions,] got a blue and yellow vest, and slid it on his bare chest. He wiped off the sweat on his arms and legs with a wet cloth. His abnormally high body heat dried it off instantly. He shrugged, walking through the corridors to get to the dining room.

The castle the Dragneel family, consisting of four people, and some servants lived in was quite large, and the land all around was owned by them. Heck, as far as you could see from the tallest spire in the castle belonged to them. The Dragneel family was filthy stinking rich. Their castle was elegant, and had exactly 227 rooms, [Natsu, when he was younger, spent an entire day running around the castle counting the number of them,] all decorated and furnished nicely. [Except the dungeons.]

Natsu reached the dining room, where the long buffet table and the other three members of his direct family waited for him. Wendy, the blue-haired adorable girl, with wide brown eyes sat next to the empty chair, looking up as he came in. She adored him, even though she was slightly more level-headed than he was and wisely stayed out of his 'totally awesome' plans he sometimes made up. She wore a long-sleeved purple and pink shirt, and had tied her hair up in twin high ponytails.

Across from Wendy was a blue-haired woman, about in her early forties, with deep brown eyes. She was Wendy's and Natsu's mother, Queen Grandine. She adorned a long sky-blue dress, decorated with a tiny wing clasp on her breast, and it suited her quite nicely.

The proud man in front of the table was Lord Dragneel, Lord of the Dragneel family and Natsu's father, Igneel. He had bright, spiky red hair [imagine his surprise when his first-born child had rose-coloured locks,] dark onyx eyes, and a broad and powerful body. He wore a black and gold-lined shirt, with loose-fitting beige pants, similar to what Natsu usually wore, but the shirt wasn't a vest and had no sleeves.

"What took you so long, son?" Igneel boomed. "You kept us all waiting."

"Sorry Father." Natsu pulled his seat back and slouched into the chair, "I was training."

Wendy and her mother frowned. "Natsu-ni? You've been training for the past three months non-stop. You're going to hurt yourself one day." The younger girl pouted.

Natsu grinned at his little sister. "Don't worry about me! A little stretch doesn't hurt at all. It helps to stay in shape." Wendy sulked some more.

Grandine scowled. "Natsu, you know very well that you can't hide in your training room all day. Three months of training and only stopping to eat and get four hours of sleep is nonsense."

Natsu frowned. "I wouldn't say four hours, more like fiv—" he shut up when he saw her face.

Igneel put a hand on the woman's to calm her down. All of the Dragneel family had a temper, except Wendy, and a destructive streak when mad too. "Grandine is right. You have a month until you get married, so you better spend more time picking a wife before we do." Natsu dropped his fork, mouth hanging open.

"Wait, what?" he shouted, standing up. "I'm getting married in a month!"

The Queen sent an annoyed look at the Lord. He grinned sheepishly. She sighed and turned back to her son. "Yes, Natsu, we've decided that we're holding a ball in two weeks. You shall choose the five best brides-to-be, and we shall choose five. Then, the next two weeks, you shall spend time with each woman, and decide a wife." Natsu seemed to choke.

"And you... you decided to tell me this NOW!" the parents nodded. He was speechless.

"Yes, these girls shall be the highest in social etiquette, and shall be a good wife and Princess for the heir until we die and you take over as Lord." Igneel told him. The servants dropped plates of food in front of the family, but for once, nobody touched it. A maid lit Igneel's and Natsu's spicy dishes on fire, just how they liked it. Once again, the lay untouched.

"I do not want '_social etiquette'_," Natsu made air-quotes. "I don't _want_ those silly, stupid girls you showed me last time. They were giggling, frilly balls of makeup and fakeness." The pink-haired prince wrinkled his nose.

Grandine frowned. "Natsu! Manners!"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine then, Mother, _I shan't bind myself eternally to a demon adorning a dress_. I'm not marrying myself to a giggly girl."

Igneel pressed his lips together. This is not where he wanted the conversation to go. "Fine then, Natsu, what would you like your princess to be like?" he said, leaning forward, hands intertwined.

The pink-haired prince thought for a moment. "Well, I'd rather not marry a girl at all—"

Wendy piped up. "You'd rather not marry a girl? Does that mean you'd marry a boy?"

Natsu facepalmed at her obliviousness. "No, Wendy, I'm not gay. I like girls." He refrained from snapping.

"Well, Dad wonders why you have no attraction to other females and said once that he thought—" she was stopped though because Igneel clamped a hand over her mouth. Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"I thought she was choking on something." He said sheepishly. Natsu fought the urge to punch him. With a fist full of flames. "So, what type of girl are you looking for?"

"Uh, none?" Igneel scowled, eyes flashing.

Natsu sighed. "Fine, I don't want a little prissy that can't walk around in mud or touch a spider. I don't care so much about smarts, as long as she isn't a brainiac and makes me feel dumb. She had to be courageous and knows how to fight." Igneel and Grandine nodded, already in thought.

"So you will be marrying someone in a month, got it, Natsu Dragneel? You are sure to find a beautiful young woman that will accompany you for the rest of your life."

"I don't wanna."

The Queen glared at the Prince. "Yes, _Mother_." He hissed reluctantly.

* * *

"Hey, where'd my fruit go?" The Golden Spirit leaped onto a branch, precariously perched there with a satchel of fruit slung over her shoulder. She chuckled when she hard the distant voice, hopping off the bough and landing on the ground on two feet. She grinned, looking over at her prize.

"Sweet deal." Spirit's features were hidden with a faded green cloak, but underneath you could see a brown one-suit with a belt tied around her slim, curvy waist. On it were a key ring, filled with golden keys and a blue, heart-ended whip. She wore thick, black, rolled-up gloves with grey lining. Her boots were black combats, matching her gloves.

She ran off into the forest, where her home was. She had never been caught by the soldiers, even though she was the Top for the area's Most Wanted list. She'd robbed many homes in the past eight years, but she was crafty enough not to get caught.

Eventually, she slowed to a quick walk, making sure no one was behind her. Lips slightly open, high tilting head, eyes darting around, she skillfully watched for pursuers. Spirit doubted it, she went on a long, different route every time, but it didn't hurt to be careful.

"Lucy!" A small child burst from the bushes, surprising her, and the girl wrapped her arms around Spirit's legs. Spirit lowered her hood, showing off her smile.

"Hey Michelle. We got lucky today." Lucy patted the little blonde's head, and the tot looked up, blue eyes wide. Michelle wasn't really Lucy's sister, but the blonde found the four-year-old girl wandering around her forest one day five years ago. Her parents had been killed in a murder.

Lucy Heartfilia was a rogue bandit living deep inside East Magnolia Forest. She always was a bandit after she ran away from home, because she wasn't old enough to get a job and she wouldn't go into a drab adoption center. By the time she was, she would have been arrested for theft repetitive times. Plus, she couldn't leave Michelle alone.

Stealing so much she was nicknamed The Golden Spirit, because, when she stole, the victim would usually see the quick flash of her golden keys before she got away. Then, she wouldn't be found, disappearing like a ghost. Nobody would suspect that the clever and crafty Spirit was actually a sassy, seventeen year old blonde girl, taking care of a child in the middle of a forest. Lucy was a mage, meaning she could use Magic, but she only used her Magical keys when she needed to.

"Luce, Luce! Look what I found today!" Michelle held up a small, white orchid. Lucy bent down to look at it.

"Oh, where did you find that?" she asked, smiling.

"Well, I went to Magnolia—" a small town to the west of the forest "—and there was a house at the borderline, and the pretty flowers were just in a basket. So I picked one for you!" the little girl beamed. Lucy smirked and tapped her on the nose, making the girl giggle.

"Didn't I tell you not to go into the towns? You could get in trouble and I'd have to go help you." She told her, wiping on her knees with her free hand and walking through the bushes to get to their shared home. It was a small, tent-like structure, with assorted [stolen] pots and pans and a tiny camp-fire. Michelle hopped inside the tent and got out a sealed bag. She grabbed a pan, a matchbox, and a slab of meat from the bag and put them over the campfire. She flicked a match on fire, and then tossed it into the circle, waiting for the dry grass she'd collected to catch. She put the meat on the pan and put it over the mini, bent-wire grill they had made.

"But look! We even have fruit!" Lucy took an apple out of the bag and tossed it to Michelle, wincing. The little girl clued onto this immediately, the apple forgotten, and scoot up to Spirit.

"Sis? What's wrong?" her usually soft voice had an edge of alarm. Lucy smiled tightly.

"I-It's nothing." Michelle pouted, put down the flower, and pulled up the cloth covering the older blonde's arm. There was a medium-sized gash there. She'd hurt herself climbing a tree, so what? It wasn't too bad of a gash. The smaller girl went to get the first-aid.

"Luce! You should be more careful!" Michelle scolded her, acting like a mother and patching up the wound. "One day you're gonna really hurt yourself." It was generally known that Lucy got food, and Michelle stayed at the campsite in hiding, but was the one who could patch them up if need be. Sometimes, she acted like a young mother to Spirit, even though she was eight years younger.

"It's okay, it's okay, I just didn't want you to worry. It's just a tiny scratch. You know I've hurt worse." Michelle winced, thinking of the time that her sister came home with several large bite marks all over her body. She'd somehow managed to get home with a sack of fruits on her back, but she'd collapsed as soon as she got to the campsite. Michelle had been scared, but bandaged Lucy and stopped her from dying. The fruit had to last them for awhile with the meager savings that they already had, but they had to go several weeks hungry until Lucy could move without hurting herself. The little tot shuddered at the memory. She'd not trusted dogs anytime from then on.

Sure, they didn't live a perfect life, but with the two of them living in the forest, it was good enough. They had food, water, and each other. Things couldn't have been better for the two rogues, who found a companion in their empty lives.

* * *

**Hey guys! I got this idea for a Fanfic recently, and I couldn't help but type it up. I'm having a little writers block on FireFlies, and my cousins are coming over for the weekend. ARG! so busy. I ****_think_**** I'm gonna continue with this story, but FIREFLIES WILL ALWAYS BE MY FIRST PIORITY, for you FF readers. So, I'll be starting two more-than-five-chapter stories. YAY! [damn, I'm gonna be busy.] **

**Review? **


	2. Plan S

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. I wish it belonged to me, but then Natsu and Lucy would already be a couple.**

* * *

Natsu had picked at his food, not saying a word, the whole dinner. As soon as he was excused, he roughly brought the chair back and stomped out of the dining room. The temperature heated up around him, showing his anger.

As soon as his parents judged him out of earshot [as they all had superior hearing,] Grandine smiled tightly and told Wendy, "go after your brother. He needs someone level-headed around him. Please make sure he doesn't go on a rampage again." the smaller blue-haired girl nodded and followed Natsu out the exit.

Igneel looked over at his wife. "Well, I think that went well."

The lady facepalmed.

* * *

Wendy followed her brother's scent through the castle, finally stopping at the training room. Inside, she heard angry shouts and something being pounded heavily. _Oh dear_, she thought, _I hope Ni-san didn't ask Gray to fight him again_. Gray was one of the male servants that enjoyed fighting with the Dragon Slayer all the time. He didn't mind being pulled out of his duties to practice combat with his frienemy.

She opened the door warily. Her head poked inside, and she watched Natsu punch a five hundred pound bag clear off the hook. It landed on the ground with a _slam_. "What do you want Wendy?" he asked, a little breathlessly, but the anger was clear.

"Well, I wanted to see how you were... um, doing... with all this." She swallowed.

"I'm _fine_." He hissed, managing to pop the punching bag back onto the hook and kicking it yet again off in a split second. He scowled and moved to get an even heavier one. His movements were stiff. Dragon Slayers, the whole of Natsu's family, had a tendency to get physically stronger when they got emotionally charged.

"Natsu-ni, you don't sound fine." She swerved into the room, clicking the door shut behind her. She noticed the drastic change of temperature. It was next to boiling in here.

"I'm telling you, I'm absolutely... _fine_." He snarled, easily popping a seven-hundred pound bag onto the hook. He punched it again and again, the smell of sweat accompanying the heat inside the room. Eventually, he gave up punching the bag after it flew across the room, embedding itself into a wall, and stopped punching things.

"Tell mom and dad I'm going on a hunt. I won't be back until I catch a criminal." He said angrily, snatching his vest off the table and stomping past Wendy. She looked at him, concerned, as he disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Natsu looked at The Board, a big wooden board where many people posted Warnings and Requests. It was literally on the empty path to Magnolia, where hardly any people passed by, but it was nice to have if you were looking to catch a criminal and get a reward.

The pink-haired prince was doing that now, skimming over the board on his blue horse, Happy, looking for someone that would be worthy of him catching. He eyed a grey sheet of paper with a hooded figure on it.

"THE GOLDEN SPIRIT, ON THE RUN FOR MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS, HASN'T BEEN CAUGHT BY THE SOLDIERS. SHE HAD BEEN STEALING FOOD AND OCCASIONALLY POTS AND PANS, AND THEN DISSAPEARS INTO EAST FOREST. REWARD; 450,000J." Natsu looked down at Happy. "What do you think about this one?"

"Aye!" Happy the horse said. Yes, he was a talking blue horse. It was the only horse that Natsu didn't get sick on, because for some reason, he always got motion sickness on carriages or other horses. He'd raised Happy as a foal, a baby horse, on his own, and Happy grew up to be a very strange horse. [And _besides_, it wasn't like he could _fly_. That would be very strange.] "She won't know what hit her." Happy said cheerfully.

So horse and prince partners galloped off to East Magnolia Forest.

* * *

"You can't get me!" Michelle giggled up in the tree, thinking that her sister would never be able to tag her so high up. Lucy chuckled by the trunk.

"Gimme a second..!" The Golden Spirit was very talented at climbing trees, but she was significantly larger than Michelle, so the little girl had hid there, thinking that she'd never reach her. She grinned and blew the older blonde a raspberry. Spirit 'hey'-ed in protest, and grabbed the lowest branch, flipping herself on top, then proceeded to scramble up the branches like an ape. Michelle's eyes widened and she realized her mistake, but it was too late because Lucy touched her ankle. "Got 'cha!" she cried.

Michelle giggled.

_Gadaphm gadaphm gadaphm... _Lucy gasped and her hand flew to cover Michelle's mouth, the other working to undo her cloak to cover the little girl a little more. The girl silenced, knowing what that sound was. A split second later, a horse, with a man on top, stopped in front of the tree.

"Hello. Who were you talking to?" the man asked, looking up. Lucy smiled sweetly.

"Talking to? It's just me." Lucy replied, inspecting the man. He was very strange, she had to admit, and not just because he was riding a blue horse. For one thing, he had pink, spiky hair. He wore a white scaly scarf around his neck, and his onyx eyes searched up at her. Something was clearly bothering him, she judged, by the way his movements were. She recognized him immediately.

"Are you stuck?" Prince Dragneel asked. Lucy cursed, hoping that he wouldn't see silent Michelle behind her. Lucy shook her head.

"No, I'm fine, just trying to... find something I lost. I was thinking that I might be able to see it from here." The Prince nodded.

"Would you like some help? My name is Natsu." She faked eyes widening in surprise.

"The prince Natsu Dragneel? Oh no, I couldn't ask for your help." She said, giving a slight bow, [as best as she could hiding Michelle and up in a tree.] The man stiffened at the word 'prince.'

"Okay, then, maybe you could help me. I'm trying to find someone nicknamed 'the Golden Spirit.' Have you possibly heard anything about her?" Lucy tried to stifle an exclaimed noise. _Prince Dragneel_ was looking for her? She'd heard of his many capturing of many well-known criminals.

"Well, last time I heard, she stole... pies, I think it was, on the East side of Magnolia," she lied. Actually, her last steal had been on the West side of Magnolia, but she'd quickly run back to the campsite with Michelle and get the hell outta there before he noticed.

"Thank you." He said. Before leaving, he turned around one more time. "So, are you sure you don't need anymore help?"

"No!" she snapped, instantly recoiling. _You can't snap at a prince, you can't snap at a prince! _Luckily, the prince shrugged it off and continued on his way, the horse's footsteps making dull thuds on the forest floor. As soon as she judged him out of earshot, she scrambled down the tree, Michelle following. They ran back to the campsite and packed everything away. Unfortunately, it took five-ten minutes, but Lucy and Michelle put on their cloaks and headed away from the direction of the prince.

_By the time he found out it was a lie, we'll be in the next town,_ Lucy thought. _We'll have to move quickly as he's on a horse and therefore faster than us, but he'll need to find us first. We can go any direction we choose. We'll be safe. _

Lucy and Michelle went to the road, and waited for a carriage to pass by. Using Michelle's wide-eyed puppy dog look, the driver, already heading to the next town, Onibus, allowed them to hop on in the back with the chickens.

* * *

A four hours later, they reached the town. The driver stopped, letting them hop off, [also not knowing that Lucy had several eggs hidden up her sleeve], and bid them farewell. The man snapped the reins and the carriage pigs walked forwards. Lucy and Michelle gave him one final wave, pretending like they were walking into Onibus, but as soon as he was out of eyesight, they crossed the road and headed back into the forest.

"So we're making a new home here?" Michelle asked timidly, looking around. Lucy smiled.

"It's not so different from East forest at least," she said, not directly answering the question. She turned to the smaller girl. "and besides, it's better than being caught by Prince Dragneel and thrown in jail." Spirit pointed out. The younger blonde giggled and nodded.

"He looked weird. He had pink hair!" Lucy chuckled, ruffling her head. Michelle exclaimed in protest, reaching her small limbs up to grab Spirit's slender wrist. Lucy took off at a jog deeper into the forest, keeping Michelle within eyesight.

They stopped deep inside and made up their new camp, cutting off fresh, strong branches with Lucy's pocketknife and setting up a shelter, finding a nearby stream for water, and laying down all of their meager belongings.

That was when it started to rain. Pouting that the shelter wasn't done yet, Spirit called it a night and curled up with Michelle in a sleeping bag, keeping each other warm. The smaller girl curled up closer to her chest, and Lucy placed a hand on her head, smiling.

Thunder boomed and the sky lit up, but the little girl wasn't scared. She had her sister, her brave, strong sister, to protect her from anything that came at them. Michelle smiled, closing her eyes and instantly falling asleep.

* * *

"Hey, Hey!" Lucy blinked her eyes open, squinting. Today was a nice bright day, calm and peaceful—

"Hellllloooooooo..?" Lucy bolted upright, scrambling to her feet [waking up Michelle,] hand moving for her belt where her pocketknife was stored. At the last moment, she stopped, eyes wide.

"You!" she exclaimed, hand still close to her belt. It was Prince Dragneel, smiling like an idiot. Michelle, knowing not to move without her sister's orders, remained still.

"Yes, me." he was grinning victoriously, and Spirit kept her weapon close in reach. The smile told her he had caught her, but he maybe she could get out of this if she took him by surprise. He'd certainly come to chain themup and collect a re—

"You forgot this." Prince Natsu held out a fine green silk bag. Lucy looked at it warily, but took the bag out of his hands. For a second, their hands toched, and she flinched back.

Spirit, opening it slowly, was surprised to see a pot lid. "how did you know it was mine?" she asked warily. Lucy and Michelle were careful not to put any signatures on any of their belongings.

"well, after I came back from the east side of Magnolia, you seemed to have gotten your information wrong, so I traveled around back to the west side. The Golden Spirit had been there, but the rain washed away the scent, so I moved to go back home until she struck again, but I passed by the forest and smelled your scent, so I did a U-turn and found the pot lid."

"Whoa whoa whoa... you can smell u-me?" she was about to say 'us,' but that would implicate there were two people here. She didn't care if she got chained, as long as Michelle was safe. So far, she was doing good by staying still and quiet in the sleeping bag.

Maybe the Prince was stupid. He seemed to be in Lucy's eyes. _Wow, if I gave you _false_ information, then _ran away_ while you were gone, I _don't_ have a proper household, I'm dressed in a _full-bodysuit_, similar to what a _bandit_ would wear..._

She deemed the pink-haired prince stupid.

Reluctantly she handed back the silk bag, taking the pot lid, but the pink-haired prince shook his head. "Keep it." she blinked, but took it. _Can't throw away an offer like this..! This is like a hundred-dollar silk bag! _

"Ah wait, I didn't get your name," Prince Dragneel said.

"Lu—" _ah crap!_ She couldn't tell him her real name."—lu." He raised an eyebrow.

"Lulu." She nodded.

"I'm not from here... it's a much more common name in Bosco, where I was born," she lied. Bosians usually had darker skin and slightly upwards-slanting eyes, but _if he was stupid enough_... she mentally crossed her fingers.

"Okay... Lulu. It's nice to make your accquiantance." He said.

"Yes." She bowed, ecause it was what a peasant would do to a prince. But she didn't like bowing to someone like he was better than anyone else.

He surprised her though. "oh, don't bother bowing." The phrase was said with a slightly sharp edge. She blinked and got up. Natsu smiled apologetically. "sorry, just..."

_Well, if I have my secrets, he can have his_, "it's complicated?"

"No, but... yeah." He scratched his head. "well, I must really get going. I'll find that Golden Spirit, but until she strikes again, I can't do anything. See you!" he pulled his horse around [such a strange colour, Lucy thought, the pink prince had a blue horse...] and waved, grinning behind him. Lucy blinked. His grin almost took up half his face, showing off his unusually sharp canines and white teeth.

As soon as he was gone, Michelle bounced up from the sleeping bag. "So, do you have a crush on him?" she asked automatically.

"No!" Lucy turned to her absurdedly. "in fact, I'd prefer that I'd never see him again because he's trying to catch us in prison. Did you forget, I'm a legendary theif that has a huge reward on her..." she stopped, because she heard the sound of hooves coming back. She pushed Michelle back into the sleeping bag hastily and put on her best smile.

Prince Natsu came back, smiling also. "did you say something?" he said, hopping off his horse.

"Say something?" she frowned. "No, I didn't."

"Something along the lines of 'I would never want to see him again because he's trying to put me in jail because I'm a legendary theif?'" Lucy's eyes widened.

"How..? how'd you even get that?"

"I don't only have a good nose." He said proudly. "I have good hearing too." The prince ran forwards, and Lucy got out her pocketknife, slashing it in front of her. He dodged, and grabbed her wrist, squeezing enough that she had no choice but to drop the knife.

Snarling, "Michelle, run!" the little girl bolted from the sleeping bag. Natsu looked in surprise behind him, but backed Spirit up so her body was pinned against and tree and his knee. She spat in his face.

She couldn't believe she was going to do Plan S. "fine, take me to jail or whatever. But first..." Lucy smiled sweetly, eyes half-open, and kissed his cheek. If she was ever caught, _seduction_ would usually work on men. It'd gotten her away loads of tim—

"Why'd you just kiss me?" Lucy's jaw dropped. Plan S didn't work on him? They were in probably in the most... intimate position ever, and a sexy girl just kissed his cheek! What was wrong with this kid!

Something was definitely wrong with him. Lucy dropped to the ground, forcing her wrist out of his grip, and scrambled between his legs, spraying dirt in his face. He spat, but chased after her.

"Happy!" the horse obeyed his command, making a quick stop for the prince to hop on, and then chasing after the girl. Lucy glanced behind her but kept running. low-hanging branches scratched her skin, but she continued running.

She needed to get where the horse couldn't go, and she was unfamiliar with this forest. The forest floor sloped, so Lucy decided to move down, deeper in the forest were hopefully there was more foliage for her to run in. She'd have to find Michelle later, because she heard the dull thuds of Happy getting closer and closer, but suddenly, they stopped, far behind her. Lucy blew them a raspberry and continued running.

* * *

**so, what do you guys think of the new chapter? I think i'm gonna post a new chapter of FireFlies too, if i'm lucky. This chapter was so long I had to cut it in two! wow, that's unlike me. ****I'm wondering about my cover page too, but I don't know what to do. I can't find any suitable pics for this story! PM me if you have any ideas? **

**To My awesome reviewers: **

**Elie-glory: thank you1 I've been wanting to do one for a bit now, thank you for reviewing! **

**and 1fairytaillover: thaaaaaaank you..! I will.**

**Review or I'll tell Happy you hate fish and give him a gun! *evil cackle* "oh god!"**


	3. Capturing Spirit

Natsu hopped on his horse and chased after the girl. "Go Happy!" the horse, breathing heavily, galloped after the girl. The prince trusted his nose to follow the scent trail, but suddenly, he caught another scent.

Suddenly, he pulled Happy's reins, and got off, following his nose to a tree stump. He bent down. There was a hollow underneath made from roots, and below that was a little scared girl. _It was the one who ran from the sleeping bag_, he thought. She had darker blonde hair and wide blue eyes. she was wearing ratty clothing, and scrunched further in was a navy cloak. her face was dirty and smeared with earth and soot.

"Hey." He said calmly, reaching out. The girl flinched. "What are you doing down there?" she whimpered in response, tucking herself further into the corner. He pulled back.

"Are you one of the Golden Spirit's friends? What's your name?" she shook her head, next to tears.

Michelle, knowing her manners, answered the prince as best as she could. "I-I'm her sister. My name is Michelle" The voice was timid.

"There's no need to hide." He reassured her.

"I'm not listening to you!" there was a little more courage in the voice, "because sis says that you'll bring us to jail! Don't bring us to jail, Prince Dragneel. She's only looking out for me." his eyes softened for a quick moment.

"Really? So how did she become the Golden Spirit, Michelle?" he sat down, cross-legged in front of the stump.

"Well, S-Sis ran away from home, but s-she was young, so she couldn't get a job to get money for food. She wouldn't go to an adoption center, because she'd heard that they treat kids badly. S-so Spirit had to steal, and by the time she was o-old enough to get a job, she'd stolen so much food that she would be arrested if she went into the towns. It's not something Spirit does for fun, Prince, she only takes as much as we need." Michelle hiccupped trying not to cry and scream for her sister.

"S-She became the Golden Sprit because sometimes when she steals, her G-Golden keys—" she cut herself off, knowing that she was going to tell her sisters greatest secret to the person that was going to throw them in jail. She continued quickly, trying to erase her mistake.

"And whatever we don't eat we give back to the adoption center or poor kids cause—"

"What was that about Keys?" he asked, making Michelle wince.

"What about them?"

"You said keys."

"No I didn't." He rolled his eyes, but continued on.

"So your sister isn't really that bad?"

"Yes, Lord Dragneel, she's taken care of me in the only way she could. She doesn't deserve to be put in jail!"

He didn't know how to put it to her. He'd always been good with kids, but telling the little innocents bad news was not his favourite thing to do. "Well, Michelle, do you know how much she's stolen from people around here? It's gonna be me capturing her and placing into a nicer jail, or the soldiers catch her one day and get her head cut off."

Michelle got tears in her eyes. "No, no, no, no, no! Sissy's not gonna get caught by the stupid guard or anyone else! We'll always be there for each other." She pouted, and her eyes glittered with tears. "I can't let her be caught by a person who wants to throw her in jail. I don't like you!" Natsu winced.

"Okay Michelle, what about we go find your sister." He said. Michelle tucked herself deeper into the hole. He couldn't pull her out without hurting her, but he was too big to fit through the hole. "Michelle..!" he warned.

"No!"

"On the count of three, if you don't get up here, I will have to uproot this trunk and get you myself..!" he threatened lightly.

"One..! Two..! Thr—" he was pushed onto the ground, and Michelle scrambled to the top, accidently kicking the pink-haired prince eating dirt.

"Sorry Prince Dragneel!" she cried, looking behind her, catching up to Spirit. Lucy had been waiting to ambush the prince but when he didn't come for her she went to investigate and found him talking to a trapped Michelle.

"Happy!" Natsu cried, spitting out dirt. Suddenly, the blue horse reared in front of them, cutting off their exit. Lucy pulled Michelle to take another way, but the horse moved to block them. She turned around, but the Prince was already up.

She'd have to use it. Unclipping one of her Keys from her belt, she slashed it in the air. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!" a humanoid cow, wearing panties with a huge axe strapped on his back appeared. Happy was momentarily scared back.

"Taurus, kick his ass!" she cried, running with Michelle. "I forgot to mention that he tried to kiss me! On the lips!" Spirit added, tugging the girl behind her.

"Mooooo! That is a criminal offense in my book, Prince!" The Bull took the axe and swung it wildly at the boy. It was only because Natsu was quick that he didn't get chopped to pieces.

"Hey, where did you come from!" he hopped over the blade. "And why am I being attacked by a panty-wearing cow?" Taurus attacked, so Natsu started up his Magic.

"If you're not getting out of my way, I'm gonna make you!" his hands lit on fire, much to Taurus's surprise, and Natsu retaliated. He swung under the blade, then jumped up and head-but the Bull in the stomach. Taurus faded with a final 'moo.'

"Okay, now to get that thief." He muttered. "Happy!" the horse galloped by, and Natsu swung on. "Max speed! Catch up with those girls!" _This mission was certainly worth it_, Natsu thought excitedly. These girls were tricky.

He didn't notice it then, but for some reason he wouldn't call them 'bandits.'

Happy easily caught up with the girls. "Come with me without struggling and I'll think about your punishment lighter." Michelle, startled, tripped and fell. Lucy cried out, turning back, but Natsu was faster. He scooped up Michelle in his arms. Happy waited patiently.

"Don't!" Lucy cried, reaching out then quickly pulling back. "Don't... don't do anything to her. It was me, all along. She didn't do anything. I'll go with you, just... let her go." She swallowed. Natsu let go of Michelle, and the terrified girl was pulled next to Lucy.

Natsu took her keys with his free hand, tossed them aside, and then barked, "Turn around." Lucy did as he said, because a struggling Michelle was still in his grip, and felt her hands being tied with rope. Natsu let go of the younger girl, and led Lucy to the horse.

"Wait!" Michelle ran up to them, crying. "I'm going with you too!" she grabbed onto Natsu's leg, wrapping her legs around his, clinging there. The prince looked down.

Lucy smiled tightly. "No, Michelle, you're going to stay here and live a free life. You're old enough to get a job now so you can get money. Don't steal like I did." She scolded her. "Let go of the prince's leg."

"No!" she refused.

"Let. go. Now!" Lucy roared. The girl closed her eyes, tears prickling at the corners, but shook her head. Lucy forced her hands out of Natsu's grip and bent down. She spoke in a softer tone. "Michelle, I'm going now. You have to let go." Lucy smiled, but it quivered. This might be the last time she saw her. Natsu stood there awkwardly.

Lucy smelled something metallic in the air. She clued in on it, seeing the spreading wet stain on Michelle's arm. "Oh my god! Michelle! You're bleeding...' Lucy looked at the alarming rate that the wet spot was spreading. Lucy nosed the cloth of her cloak back, where there was a large gash through her ratty shirt. On her shoulder blade, there was a large cut bleeding heavily. Spirit's eyes widened.

"Where'd you get this?" she demanded.

"In the tree truck, I climbed inside but something cut me." she sobbed.

Lucy pulled at the ropes the prince tied but she couldn't get free. She looked up desperately. "Prince, please let me help her! She's only a little girl, and she's hurt."

Natsu smiled slightly. "I'll bind up the wound, and if she comes with us, I can get Wendy to fix it." Lucy frowned.

"Who's Wendy?" the answer came to her. "Your sister, Princess Wendy? How's she going to help?"

Michelle's arms loosened around Natsu's legs from exhaustion and blood loss, and Lucy dived to soften Michelle hitting the ground. Spirit grunted, but to her surprise, the pink-haired prince picked her up in his arms. "Wendy's a Healing mage. A Sky Dragon Slayer. She'll be able to heal it." Natsu reached into Happy's satchel and got out the bandages. Expertly, he ripped off Michelle's right sleeve and wrapped the bandaged around the wound, snaking under her armpit and around her neck, as Lucy struggled to sit.

"But- but..!"

"She won't mind. She heals people all the time." Natsu chuckled. "Happy, can you take two-and-a-half passengers at Max Speed?" The horse snickered, and the prince patted his flank. "Thanks bud."

"Hop on." He told the female thief. He realized his mistake as Lucy gave a pointed glare at him. Natsu smiled sheepishly, and helped her up. He lifted Lucy off her feet, making her cry out in surprise, and popped her on the blue horse.

"So, what's your real name?" Natsu asked, swinging himself on the horse too, behind the Golden Spirit and Michelle. Lucy was in front, Michelle sandwiched between them, and Natsu in back.

Lucy decided to give up hiding it. "My real name is Lucy. It's Spirit to you. Only Michelle calls me Lucy."

Natsu recoiled at her snappiness, but called to Happy, "come on Happy! Max Speed to the castle!"

"Aye sir!" the horse cried, starting off slow, and then getting faster and faster. Natsu held onto the reins tightly.

Lucy realized the problem. "The horse talks!" as they rocketed off to the Dragneel Castle.


	4. That damn bug!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fairy Tail!**

* * *

"Sllloowwww dooownnn!" Lucy screamed, tears in her eyes. The sound whizzed behind them, unheard. Happy was running at what felt like 200 kilometers per hour, and she didn't have anything to hold onto with her hand's tied behind her back. Luckily, Natsu held onto her, pinning them all down to the horse. She screamed again.

Within minutes, the group was standing in front of a large, red-and-white castle with huge spires, with a humongous entrance that was at least Lucy's height times seven. Spirit gazed up at the monument, in slight awe. Happy finally slowed down to a trot, and a dozen servants waited at the gate for Prince Dragneel. Lucy breathed in and out, trying to calm her speeding heart.

"Good afternoon, Prince. Shall I take Happy to the stables?" Natsu hopped down from the horse, taking Michelle and placing her in a slumped position on the ground. Lucy slipped off, watching the assistants warily. Natsu handed the servant the reins and the male assistant took three steps back, bowed, and then turned down a small, smooth path to get to the stables, Happy following obediently.

"Sir, would you like me to take your cloak? It may require washing." The pink-haired prince handed him the dirty blue cloak, skillfully keeping hold of Lucy. With his other arm, he scooped up an unconscious Michelle. The servants eyebrows quirked up, but only one dared speak.

"Sir, may I take the child to the dungeons for you?" Lucy sent him a harsh, frozen glare, and it took the man all his willpower not to flinch. Natsu tugged the girl back, like pulling the leash on a dog.

"No." He told him. "I'll be fine. Could you tell the rest of the Dragneel's to go to the Grand Room?" The servants bowed respectfully.

Natsu took the girl, half-pulling, half-dragging the Golden Spirit up to the grand room, where his whole family was waiting. Instantly, Wendy caught on the little girl in his arms and rushed forwards, seeing her injuries. The Prince placed her on her table, and the Sky Dragon Slayer went to work. Lucy watched her carefully and intensively.

"I brought home a criminal!" he announced with a cheeky grin. His parents frowned.

"Why did you 'bring home' a criminal, son?" Lucy guessed that the large, red-headed man was Lord Igneel Dragneel, head of the Dragneel family.

"Well, her sister was hurt and I didn't have enough time to bring them to some jail cell so I brought them here so Wendy could heal Michelle and I'll finally put some use to those dungeons we had put in. They're getting kinda rusty, don't you think?" The parent's glanced at each other.

"Well, it is true. They haven't been used in years." Grandine admitted.

"What did this particular criminal do, Natsu?" Igneel indicated Lucy, still tied up and in the prince's strong grip.

"She's been stealing." Lucy gave them a sheepish grin. "She's known as the Golden Spirit." Grandine and Igneel's eyes widened a fraction.

"She's been a thorn in our side for years." The Lord stood up. "Good job son!" he walked towards the two and leaned in front of Lucy, black eyes searching her face. Lucy fought the urge to attempt to make a break for it, knowing it would be futile. Those black eyes seemed to be peering into her soul, her very being. Spirit was instantly afraid of this man, because behind his eyes was a wild, feral beast contained inside a man. She swallowed roughly.

"You've been stealing food from the mighty Igneel's kingdom," he said it slowly, letting the words sink in. She almost started shaking, fearing what he was going to do to her. Cut off her head, sprinkle hot pepper into her eyes, cook her over a spitfire and eat her for a sna—!

"How'd you managed to do that!" he grinned, scarily similar to his son's grin, and she couldn't believe it for a second. Lucy let out a huff of air.

"I'm... uh, talented?" she answered slowly, wondering if Lord Igneel was just a fluke. She swore she got a tic in her eye.

"Well, good job!" he patted her on the back with a giant hand, and she nearly tipped forward from the force of it. Behind his figure, she saw Queen Grandine roll her eyes.

"Well, put her into the dungeons." Natsu started tugging her again, but when she resisted it for a moment, he turned to stare at her.

"Wait!" Igneel turned an eye towards her. She bowed quickly but respectfully. "Michelle didn't do anything. Oh please, after you're done healing her, please let her go. It was all me who stole the food, not her. Please don't put her into a dungeon!" Igneel hrm-ed thoughtfully.

"She didn't do anything?"

"No, it was all me who stole the food. She just stayed at the campsite. I swear she's never taken something from anyone else in her entire life. She can barely kill a fly. I'm begging you, put me in a dungeon and cut off my head, just don't put her behind bars." She started to sniffle, but held the tears back.

Lord Igneel hesitated, and at that moment, Michelle woke up. She bolted upwards, shouting, "Lucy!" accidently bonking her head against Princess Wendy's.

"Ow!" they cried, wiping their foreheads. They stared at each other for a few moments. Both began to giggle, despite that.

"Are you okay?" Michelle asked her, holding her head awkwardly.

"Y-yeah, you?" Wendy rubbed her forehead, one eye closed slightly.

"I'm fine." The girls erupted into giggles again. The older members of the family's watched them curiously.

"What's your name?" Michelle asked.

The bluenette smiled. "I'm Princess Wendy. And you?"

"Michelle. I wish I had a pretty name like yours," the blonde girl admitted.

"Aw, but I want a name like yours!" Wendy cried. "Wanna be friends?"

"Sure!"

The adults [or near adult in Lucy's case,] started to smirk, despite the differences between the two. Wendy turned to her father. "Please, please, could Michelle stay here for a bit? We promise we won't be too loud!" Michelle finally looked around, and saw the room she was in. Her gaze traveled around, noting the two large adults in the room, but fixed on Spirit, being held by the dumb prince.

"Lucy!" she cried, getting off the table and running towards her fearfully. Wendy turned around.

"Michelle! You shouldn't walk yet. You're too weak." Just then, before the blonde reached her sister, she collapsed. Lucy couldn't do anything but watch, because Natsu wouldn't let his grip go.

Wendy went next to the other girl, but Michelle pulled away fast, scrambling away. "You're with Prince Natsu... I don't like you!" Wendy frowned.

Her eyes filled with tears. "Prince Natsu caught L- Spirit and it's all his fault. Anyone who's with him, I don't like." Michelle pouted.

Wendy understood. "Okay. I get it." the bluenette turned to her parents. "Could Michelle stay with me, and she can visit Spirit every day?" Michelle brightened up, but didn't speak.

Lucy did though. "Uh, Princess Wendy, Michelle has to leave, because..." damn, lying to children wasn't her thing. "She can't be here."

Igneel and Grandine shared glances, knowing their daughter wouldn't let go on this one. She didn't get many friends anyway, stuck in a castle all day.

"Fine, Michelle can stay over as a playmate." Wendy let out a cry.

"Michelle, you can stay over!" the older girl took Michelle, lifted her up gently, and helped her walk. "First I'll show you my room, and then I can show you around the castle, and then—" her voice faded.

Natsu started pulling Lucy away, who had started to struggle. Spirit snarled at him, finally showing some resistance. But, despite her efforts, he effortlessly dragged her to the entrance to a staircase. "I'll go put her in the dungeon, could someone get a guard for her?" He waved to his parents. Lucy tried to snap at him.

"Let Michelle go!" Spirit's efforts were wasted, because Natsu took her over his shoulder, hauling her like a sack of potatoes. She cried out and he started going down the staircase, easily climbing down like she was a featherweight. She kicked and struggled.

At the bottom, it was grim. Two charmed torches, spelled so that they burned forever, hung on the bleak, gray concrete walls. There were four cells, all with partially rusted metal bars, and inside each cell was a single, moth eaten foam sheet, a sink with a water lacyrima, and a bathroom. On the other side of the room was a plain wooden door.

For a moment, curiosity took over. "What's on the other side of that door?"

"The torture room," he replied simply. She stiffened. "Re-lax, we haven't used it in years."

She let out a sigh, and Natsu opened the gate to one of the holding cells. It opened with a loud, noisy creak. "Let my sister go." Spirit said determinedly. Natsu went inside the cell and deposited her on the ground. He closed the gate behind him, locking the door. He tugged on it loosely to check. The metal rattled.

"Wendy's just keeping her as a playmate, not keeping her in a cell. Relax." Lucy glared murderously at him on the other side of the bars.

At that moment, another guard came down, dressed in a simple blue uniform. "Hey Natsu." Lucy inspected him. _This was her guard, eh? _She was slightly surprised that he was talking so smoothly to the prince, being a paid guard, but she didn't think about it too much.

The guard was lithe but strong, wearing a normal fitting blue uniform with a thick brown belt on his hips. There was a thick dagger in it. He had dark hair and dark blue eyes. Natsu bro-fisted him. "Hey Gray."

The guard glanced at Spirit, and she gave him a long, slow stare, trying to unnerve him. The guard didn't even flinch. Natsu decided to introduce them.

"L-Spirit, this is Gray, Gray, Spirit." She didn't speak, just let out a snort and spun around, back facing them. The guard blinked and sweatdropped.

He leaned over. "Is she usually like this?" he asked quietly. A vein popped in Lucy's head.

"I can hear you, you 'know," she hissed. Natsu and Gray flinched.

"Well, she's a little pissed at us cause we're keeping her sister here." Natsu replied.

Lucy, just to annoy them, starting talking the loudest she could, "blah, blah, blah, blah—!"

They covered their ears. "Lucy! Don't make me go in there!" Natsu yelled over the noise.

"What? I can't hear you!" she continued making as much noise as she could, back still turned. Gray and Natsu glanced at each other, silently agreeing.

"Ice Make; gag!" Lucy's mouth was covered in a frozen, icy barrier. She was silenced for a moment, spinning around, looking up startlingly at the two mages.

"Hr hehel oh!" she tried to snarl, but it came out blubber. She leered at them, trying to pick off the ice with already cold fingers. It wasn't too cold, unlike regular ice, but it was definitely harder to break. She guessed that this was Magic Ice, most likely created from Gray.

"What she say?" Gray scratched the back of his head, while Lucy glowered at him.

Natsu thought for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. "I want food! That's what she said." She shook her head in annoyance, still trying to break off the ice.

"Hu-et hich-elle wo." She said it slowly, but there was an edge of anger.

"Met Natsu ago?" Gray sounded out, frowning. Lucy stood up and hit her head against the wall repetitively. Gray and Natsu didn't get it.

Luckily, the ice shattered slightly, and she peeled it off, wincing at the stinging sensation it left behind. "Let. Michelle. Go!" she snapped.

"Ohhh." The boys nodded in understanding.

"So that's what she was saying..!" Natsu grinned, and Lucy honestly hated him.

"Who's Michelle?"

"Oh, her little sister." The Prince explained.

_Oh screw it_. Lucy took off her boot and threw it through the bars, hitting Natsu's face. Luckily, the leather sole hit him head-on. Gray spun around, but smirked. "Nice aim." Her other boot hit him too. They fell back, twitching, and Lucy sat down, now shoe-less, but content with her accomplishment.

* * *

Natsu finally left the dungeons, leaving her alone with Gray. He sat on a chair, watching her, already bored. Her back was facing him, and she was still wearing her black one-piece.

"So," he started, trying to make conversation, "how are you?"

For a moment, she didn't answer, making him wonder if she was partially deaf. Suddenly, she cocked her head. "Hey, I thought I heard something. It was really quiet. I think it was just a bug." She turned back to her position.

Gray scowled, but stopped talking to her. He didn't know that Lucy was determined on ignoring him until they let Michelle go. She didn't trust them and never would, especially with her sister.

"Are you gonna talk to me at some point?" he asked.

She shook her head, looking around accusingly. "That damn bug."

The guard got the point. He threw up his hands, rolling his eyes.

* * *

**Heh, this chapter was fun to write for some reason. I guess it's because i'm in a good mood.**

**Lucky love of life: Thank you! *give's cookie***

**TheBeastHunter: yeah, I just wanted to switch it up a little, you know? thank you for reviewing! 3**

**1fairytaillover: that was what I was aiming for! ya, I decided to make Happy a horse because I kinda needed him to be able to pick up more than one person at a time, you know? and besides, this story is medieval times, and I decided to give the pink prince a blue horse! **

**Person: I hope this is satisfactory! thank you!**

**sofia: thanks! 3**

**sofia3: YES, I WILL! THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! [don't you love Caps lock... :3 ] **


	5. Beginnings of Hate

Lord Igneel looked up as blue rope and metallic keys were dropped on his desk. He looked up at his son Natsu, who had walked into the room and was the one who deposited the items.

"Hey, good job son, catching the Golden Spirit." Igneel let out a mighty grin.

The Prince stiffened. "I'm still mad. Those are her weapons, keep them somewhere or other, I don't care." He stomped out of the room.

The man frowned, but lifted up the rope and keys. The rope wasn't rope as he'd thought as first glace; the material was smooth and at the end it had a small heart, the edges sharp like a razor. It was a whip. The other he was quite surprised to see. Celestial Spirit Gate Keys. _Ten_ Golden, and some others. He wasn't interested in the others. The Golden Keys were quite rare and of worth. One alone could get millions of Jewels on the black market. Igneel wondered how the Golden Spirit got them all.

But, Igneel liked shiny things and kept many on display and in his collection. So, he opened a drawer in his desk and dropped the keys inside, closing it shut with a dull thud.

* * *

Lucy had been waiting for ages, but finally she got tired. She blinked lazily, trying to stay awake. She wouldn't fall asleep until the guard did, showing him just who was boss.

On the other side of the bars, Gray was trying to stay awake also. He could tell the thief wasn't weakening; no sign of slouching even though her back was to him. He sighed, mentally slapping himself awake. But finally, his breathing slowed and his eyes shut reluctantly. Lucy turned around, hesitantly, but sighed when she saw him asleep. She didn't know how much longer she'd last.

She stood up, and moved to the small foam sheet and moth eaten blanket that was her bed. Forget the pillow. Spirit got down on the uncomfortable bed and made herself as settled as she could. She was sore, but was so tired she fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Unfortunately, Lucy woke up too soon, feeling incredibly tired. Plus she was hungry.

She gave the guard a minute, letting herself stretch and get the morning frog out of her throat so her voice wasn't rusty for what she was about to do. "Hey, guard." She called out to the sleeping Gray.

"Yoo hoo!" she scoot up closer to the bars. They hadn't given back her boots, which bugged her because Gray had them right next to him. She had nothing left to throw either except her clothing, which she was _not_ taking them off of to wake up a guy.

"Hey, I'm hungry!" she shouted. The guard woke up in a start, eyes boring into her sleepily.

"What?"

"I'M HUNGRY!" Lucy screeched. Gray clapped his hands over his ears.

"Ya ya, I'll go get you some food." the Ice mage said. "Did you know you're really loud when you wanna be?"

She smirked. "When I wanna be. I'll promise I'm gonna make your life hell, Gray the Ice mage guard. You are not gonna enjoy yourself."

The look in her eyes was feral. He inwardly shivered, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. Including—

"Why are you taking off your pants?" Lucy screamed. Gray looked down. He was already out of his uniform, but he was lucky enough to catch himself before he pulled his pants down.

"Pervert!" she cried. He worked to put his clothes back on. [He found it strange that it was much easier getting _out of_ his clothes then in them.]

"Eh, sorry. It's a habit."

"Stripping?"

He flushed. "Y... yeah."

Lucy wrinkled her nose. "That is just gross." She turned her back on his again.

"Now go get me some food. I'm hungry," she snapped. He rolled his eyes but went to get her something to eat.

A few minutes later, he returned with a plate full of leftovers. They weren't exactly warm, a lump of chicken breast, corn, and a cold potato. Gray shoved the metal tray under slit at the bottom of the bars, it scraping against the concrete with a screech.

Bleh. _Well, at least it's food_, Lucy thought. _And at least I'm _getting_ fed_. She took the fork and hesitantly took a bite, remembering that she shouldn't look so pleased. Narrowing her eyes at the guard, she spun around, sat down cross-legged, and ate in peace.

Smiling, she chowed down happily. It wasn't half bad, even cold.

* * *

A few hours later; or what felt like it, there were no clocks down in the dungeon, Lucy heard footsteps. And giggling laughter. She blinked and turned around, seeing Michelle and Wendy come down the stairs.

"Lucy!" the smaller blonde cried. She put on a scowl. Now that she was healed, looking happier than she'd ever looked before, it was time for Lucy to be a parent and tell her what she did wrong.

Michelle was wearing, what Lucy thought, was one of Princess Wendy's shirts, as it was very good quality and a little too big for her. The girl was a giggling bundle of joy though, practically jumping down the stairs and running up to Lucy's cell. Her eyes softened though, when she saw the conditions that she was placed in, wrinkling her nose.

Lucy stood up, hand on her hip and the other pointer finger sticking out. "Michelle..!" she girl shrunk, knowing what she did.

"When I say let go of the Prince's leg, I mean it. The only reason you're here is because you did that, and—" she looked up at Wendy for a split moment before continuing, "—we'd like to thank them for that, but you can't stay here forever, you know? Then you're gonna have to make the long walk back to Magnolia which is the nearest town to here, but most of all you didn't listen to me."

She pouted. "But I can't let my sister go." She whined. "You're like a mom to me."

Lucy faltered for a moment. "Y-yes, but I'm gonna be living the rest of my life in a cell, and you are not gonna be living yours like that, you hear me?" Michelle nodded slowly.

"But Michelle can live in the castle with me!" Wendy declared, moving up next to her friend. Lucy already saw the bond between the two, how Michelle was staying close to Wendy, even though the girl was usually very shy around other people. Lucy guessed that it was because she'd never really had friends before.

"I don't think your parents are gonna let you do that, Princess Wendy," Spirit said to her. The girl pouted.

At that moment, Lucy heard more footsteps and everyone turned towards the noise. Prince Natsu appeared around the corner, looking slightly surprised. "Hey, why is everyone here?" he asked.

"Uh, cause it's my job, Spirit's here because she's a criminal behind bars, Michelle's here to visit Spirit, and Wendy followed Michelle." Gray pointed out.

"Oh," was all he said.

"Why are you here, Natsu?" Wendy asked. Natsu's eyes slid past her.

"I'm just here to ask L-Spirit some questions." The named girl in response sat back down, her back facing him, not saying a word except for a disapproving 'humph.' Natsu sighed.

"Okay kiddies and adult, visiting hours are over." He pointed them towards the exit. Michelle reluctantly left with a final, 'see you tomorrow,' Wendy left beside the younger blonde, but Gray remained.

"You'll be fine on your own?" he asked, patting him on the shoulder.

Natsu stared at him. "I'm the one who caught her in the first place. I think I can handle a girl behind bars."

Gray shrugged. "Just checking. Watch out, she was be really noisy when she wants to be." With a final clap on the shoulder, Gray followed the girls up the staircase. Natsu took his seat.

"So," he began. "I gotta just ask you some questions, yadadada..."

Lucy scoffed. "What do you want to ask me? It'll be my decision whether to answer it." he rolled his eyes.

"How long have you been stealing things?" he said, already bored.

"Eight years."

"How did you stumble across ten of the Golden Gate Keys?"

"My first three were handed down to me from my mother. Most, I just happened to do jobs for. I look out for them, hide my identity, and do whatever it takes to get them."

"Including stealing?"

"One, but she had a horrible owner that mistreated her. I had no choice."

He leaned forwards, "So you just _stumbled_ across ten Golden Gate keys?"

"Ya. You can stop with the 'Bad Cop' act, you know. Whether I answer the question or not, truthfully, I might add, is my choice."

"So you've been lying to me?" he didn't mention that he could tell if someone was lying by their heart rate, but he kept quiet.

"The first four I haven't lied."

"Okay. Can you use any other type of Magic?"

"Yes." She lied, just to scare him. It didn't work, because even though she was calm, Natsu detected a faint rise of her heartbeat.

"Has Michelle actually stolen anything?"

"No."

"How'd you find her in the first place?" Lucy looked around her, because Natsu didn't say it in his formal voice, more like asking a personal question.

"None of your beeswax." She huffed.

He went onto the next question. Spirit was slightly surprised that the Prince didn't pry into her personal business anymore than that. "You said your mother handed her three keys down to you. Where is she now?"

"Up there." Lucy didn't like thinking of that. Her kind, sweet mother died from an illness just when she was seven. She ran away two years later, because her father neglected her. It was all their fault too.

"Your dad?"

"I don't know if he's dead or alive or where the hell he is. I don't care. He can go die in a hole for all I care." She snorted. Natsu frowned.

"Have something against him?" she stood up roughly, whirring around on the pink haired boy.

"Okay, just because you and your family healed my sister, don't go around prying into our personal life. We're not friends. Don't even pretend like we're even close to it. If I could get out, I'd gladly leave this castle, skipping and singing and happy as hell."

He recoiled. She definitely had something against her father. "Okay. I'll leave you be now." he stood up hastily and left. She collapsed on the ground. She hated the Dragneel family, and not because they put her behind bars. For a moment, she thought about her previous connection with them.

* * *

_"Please, Lord Dragneel, anyone!" Jude Heartfilia pounded on the door with his free hand, the grown man next to tears. Next to him was a little, wide-eyed, seven-year old girl. They had ridden on a horse to get here, something that they didn't have money for, and what they were about to ask for would likely put them into more debt. _

_ "Please open the door!" Finally, the giant gate opened slightly, and a small, pink-haired boy peered through. _

_ "Who is it?" he asked. He wore a cute, blue and yellow t-shirt, looking through the door with one large, onyx-coloured eye. There was a scaly scarf wrapped around his neck. _

_ "Prince Dragneel!" the man almost cried his relief. "Can we speak to your parents? My name is Jude Heartfilia."_

_ The small boy, even though he was about a year older than the girl, 'hrm-ed.' "Well, my parents and most of the servant's are out on business, they said they'd be back in a few days." Jude cringed. _

_ "May we talk to the head servant?" the little boy nodded, seeing the state of distress around the two, and closed the door. He ran off to go find him. Jude and the girl waited impatiently for the Head Assistant to come out. Finally, what felt like hours later, a green haired man came out, wearing a long, black waistcoat. _

_ "My name is Fried. How may I be of assistance?" the man was barely in his adult years, with long green hair and two zigzag-like antennae poking out of his head. _

_ "We heard that the Dragneel's had a potion of some sort that could heal Pneumonia. Please, my wife, and her mother is dying right at this moment. She won't make it if we don't bring back a cure, or at least something that will hold it back." Jude pleaded to the man. _

_ The Head Assistant thought for a moment. "Well, we only have one in stock. And I'm not sure if Lord Igneel would appreciate giving it to some strangers. It is of worth... but he won't mind if I give you a little bit." Fried left and came back with a small vial, handing it to Jude."I wish you luck." Jude thanked the man, and took the girl in his arms, careful not to drop the glass._

_ The man put her on the horse, and it reared, nearly throwing them back, but galloped off. Fried gave them a final wave, closing the door behind him._

* * *

_ "Layla, Layla! We came back." Jude burst through the doors, the little girl following behind eagerly. They stopped though, eyes widening. _

_ A single nurse, dressed in a black uniform, was holding the woman's hand. She looked up as they came in, shaking her head. The vial clattered to the floor, but didn't break. "she died... a few minutes ago." _

_ They were too late._

_ Jude's wife was on the bed, dressed in a white gown, head over the side, skin pale and her chest unmoving. The little daughter burst into tears, running up to her and hugging her arm. _

_ "MOM! Mommy, come back!" she wailed. The little girl was told the effects of pneumonia. Severe coughing, infection of the lungs. It wasn't usually deadly, but it got worse and worse, and finally she had to be taken to the hospital. They had tried everything, but to no avail. The only choice was to go Dragneel Castle, where there was supposedly a cure. But the vial lay on the floor, abandoned._

_ They were too late. _

_ The little girl cried, wailing into her mother's shoulder._

* * *

Lucy shook her head. It was all their fault that Layla died, and her father neglected her, and she ran away, Lucy becoming the Golden Spirit.

She hadn't noticed she was crying. Lucy wiped the tears away quickly, refusing to break down. She hated the Dragneel family, and nothing would ever change that. Spirit dug into her brown suit, reaching in, hand clamping over something. She pulled it out.

It was a tiny bottle, with a slightly glowing green essence in it. The top had a hook stuck on it, and a thin piece of cord was stuck through the hook, tying it around her neck. In the darkness of the cells, the neon green liquid gave off a slightly eerie effect.

She hadn't even told Michelle. Tucking the vial back between her breast, Lucy crawled to her bed, tucking herself in. She was emotionally and mentally fatigued, so she was going to take a nap.

A single tear traced down her cheek.

* * *

**AWWW, I'm a sadist. Lucy's got a secret hatred for the Dragneel family! mwahahahaha..!**

**31 FOLLOWERS!? *dies a little* Thank you so much guys! [Only on the first five chapters!?] I love you all. 3**

**To my EPIC reviewers: [!]**

**AngelTheSwordMage: oh, you'll have to continue reading to find out!**

**1fairytaillover: hehehee. Well, she's always hitting them in the series, so, I thought I'd add that in too. Just because she's behind bar's doesn't mean she can't throw stuff! [but now she's lost her boots...] **

**HalloweenDemon: Here you go! I hope you like this chapter! **

**Doctor; Wow, I updated barely thirty minutes after you post your review... how's that for fast? :3**

_**Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but press the review button, and **_**review, maybe**_**?**_


	6. The blue horse-cat-dog

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHORS NOTE AT THE BOTTOM FOR NEW NOTICFICATIONS! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own F.T.**

* * *

"Yo, Spiritttttt..." Lucy cringed and tucked herself closer to the wall.

"Spirrrittttt..." she blindly swatted at Michelle, who was trying to wake her up.

"Would you prefer I call you Lucy?" her eyes opened, exasperatedly, and she rolled over.

"Whaddu' want Mich—" she stopped and glared at the man who woke her up. It was the stupid pink-haired Prince.

"Go away. This is my cell and I think I deserve to be left in peace." She snarled, but the sound was muffled in the foam bed.

"What?"

She lifted her head. "Go awayyy..!" she whined, plopping her head back down.

"No, Happy wants to talk to you." Lucy lifted her head once more, and noticed beside the prince was a blue horse. How she could have missed it, she didn't know.

"Aye!" it was strange hearing the horse talk.

"Well, I'm not talking to Happy either, so bug off." Her head collapsed on the mattress again.

"But I wanna fish! You owe me." Lucy looked up incredulously.

"The horse wants a fish?" she asked Natsu. He nodded.

"Yeah, Happy really likes fish."

"But he's a horse."

"So?"

"Wouldn't that cause him digestion problems or something?"

"Hasn't so far."

"Aye! Happy cried. "Now gimme fish."

Lucy's head flopped on the bed again. "Gimme gimme never get." She chanted. "And besides, why do I owe you?"

"Cause I took three people, including you and your little sister, at Max Speed. That's really tiring. I already got a fish from Natsu, and now I need one from you and your sister!" he declared.

Spirit couldn't believe she was having this conversation with _a horse_. "Do I look like I have fish down here? I'm living in a cell. There ain't no fish."

The horse pouted, bottom lip hanging out. "No fish? Your life sucks."

"Try coming to live here with me. You can have some cold chicken."

"No thanks." The horse trotted back up the stairs miserably.

A few seconds passed in silence. "So..." Natsu looked around. "Nice place you got."

"Thanks," said Lucy sarcastically. "Don't you love the decor? Dark and bleak, just the way I like it. I'm not accepting visitors right now, so you can leave." Her hand pointed towards the staircase.

"And besides, shouldn't you go bring Happy back to the stables?"

Natsu shrugged, but instead of going towards the exit, he sat down on the single chair placed in front of the cell. "What are you doing?" Lucy accused. She heard him take the seat.

"Don't worry, Happy walks around the castle all the time. Besides, I'm bored and want someone to talk to." Lucy growled under her breath.

"It ain't gonna be me, I'm giving you the silent treatment. Go talk to the horse."

"His name is Happy," he corrected. Spirit didn't reply. He sighed.

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "I know! I'm challenging myself to get you to like me as a friend." Lucy, still buried in the mound of foam, rolled her eyes.

She wished she could talk to say, 'never gonna happen', and say a long string of curse insults that would make the childish Natsu run for the hills. She just wanted him aw-ay from her.

The sound of clopping echoed through the cells, and Happy's blue head poked out of the entrance. "Are you sure you have no fish?"

"Yes, Happy, I'm sure!" She snapped at him. The horse gave her puppy-dog eyes, but trotted back up the stairs.

_A horse that acts like a cat that gives looks like a dog_, Lucy inwardly muttered. Natsu turned back to her.

"Now that was mean." He scolded. She didn't reply, only rolling her eyes at him. He huffed.

"This is gonna be difficult." He said, and Lucy mentally cheered. _He's gonna leave, he's gonna leave!_

"So I'll just have to double my efforts!" she groaned.

Natsu clued in on this. "She made a sound! Whoo! That's one step closer towards my goal." He cheered.

Lucy was close to hating him. _He was like an annoying child that was stuck to your leg and prevented you from moving while talking non-stop while you're stealing food_! She wailed. _Times ten_!

_At least it can't get any wor—_ She heard the sound of rusty metal creaking. She looked up as the door shut and Natsu locked the door, throwing the keys away. Her eyes widened. Prince Natsu, was stuck, in the cell—

With her.

The keys he'd thrown were currently outside and out of reach. The Prince grinned down at her. "I win," he said. Lucy's eyeballs nearly rolled out of her head, they were so wide, eyes darting between Natsu and the keys.

"There's no way you can't talk to me now!" she wanted to hit him. Hard. The Prince sat down, a short distance away from her, but just out of arms reach. Lucy huffed, eyeing the look on his face, waiting for her to say something, and plopped her head on the mattress again, ignoring him.

And it was silent. The prince was in thought, but waiting for the girl to say something.

A few minutes later, Natsu grinned, having an idea. Spirit heard the prince shuffling next to her bed. She looked up to check if he wasn't doing anything, when she burst out laughing.

She wouldn't speak, but the pink-haired idiot of a prince was tickling her sides! She laughed hard, but not a word would come out of her mouth. He grinned, hands moving rapidly up and down her sides. "I'm not stopping until you say stop." He said, continuing to tickle her. Lucy's sides ached, but she refused to let a word out of her mouth.

So the rigorous torture continued. Spirit laughed so hard tears came from her eyes, she wanted to hit him, but she wasn't in control of her limbs at this point. They were clenched firmly around her midsection, trying to, unsuccessfully you might add; swat the prince's arms away.

The Prince sensed that he wasn't trying hard enough, so he moved his fingers faster. At this point, Lucy couldn't even muster the air to laugh; it was all a breathless, silent eruption of howls.

"Fine fine, stop!" she shrieked, and almost immediately, the fingers stopped their torture. She collapsed on the bed, silent one more, partly because of her Silent Treatment, the other trying to regain air in her lungs.

"You talked!" Lucy got up to glare at him.

The boy noticed, and his bottom lip jutted out, eyes wide and pleading. Spirit rolled her orbs, huffing. "What will it take for you to talk to me!" he whined, like a lost little puppy.

Finally she spoke, but the words weren't nice. "Look, maybe the reason I'm not talking to you is because _I don't want to_," she snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "So shut your trap, you sick, _spoiled_ prince, because, just so we're clear, I _don't_ want to talk, especially if it's to you."

His eyes turned downcast, and he shuffled away miserably, an air of depression around him. He settled, knee's tucked in and face partially hiding in his scarf, against the wall, wet-eyed. For a split second, her eyes softened; she felt sorry for him. "Look, I—"

"I'm okay." He whimpered, not helping her push away her guilt. "I'm fine." _Yelling at him was like screaming at an innocent child_, she cried helplessly in her mind.

It only took a few seconds of _That Look_ for her to break. "Okay, okay, you can talk to me!" she winced. The boy visibly brightened up, and suddenly Lucy found the air forced out of her lungs in a bone-crushing hug.

"Can I call you Lucy?" he asked, still hugging her.

"First, get off me. Second, don't push your luck kid." He pulled away.

"So, what you wanna talk about?" he enquired excitedly.

"I don't know!" Lucy rolled her eyes. "You were the one who wanted to talk."

He thought for a moment. "Well, what's it like living in a forest?" her eyebrows raised a fraction and she turned slightly to look at him. She silently repeated a question.

"Why do you ask?"

He duh-ed her. "Cause I've lived in a castle all my life, had my food handed to me on a silver platter, can buy anything I want any time I'd like, heck, I could sell my signature for a couple million Jewels." He pointed out.

"Fair enough," she supposed. She just wanted him to go away, but it wasn't prying too much in her personal business, so she spoke. "Living in a forest... well, you have to make sure you're prepared for anything; you never know when a sudden storm's gonna hit and you won't be able to make it to the next town to get food, so you need to be stocked up. You gotta protect yourself from beasts, sometimes they'll get curious and try and nose though your stuff to get food, that's a no-no. You gotta make sure you don't step on any poisonous stuff, and clean out any injuries quickly because they can easily get infected out there."

Natsu drifted off a bit in thought. "Sounds hard."

"Well, it ain't heaven, but it is- was," she corrected herself, "a good life."

He wrinkled his nose, but he looked curious. "But why? You sound like you have to... go through all this crap to survive."

Spirit smiled, "There's always the difference of Living and Surviving, remember that, Pinky." He 'hey'ed in protest, 'it's salmon, not pink,' but she continued. "Surviving is doing what you need to do to continue on. Living is having fun and enjoying yourself while Surviving." She explained to him. It was one of the lessons that her mother taught her before she died; Lucy didn't realize that she was telling Natsu it before it came out. Her features twisted into a self-hating snarl.

"What?" Natsu blinked.

"It's nothing," she snapped. _It's not nothing_, the pink-haired prince wanted to say, but he kept quiet. He didn't get women, often happy and joyous in one moment, and then as scary as hell and beating him with a chair the next. One of the reasons why he didn't want to marry one.

"Okay... next subject?" he offered. She diverted her attention to him, somewhat tenser than before. Natsu, a combat expert, knew that this meant they were nervous and/or angry, or prepared to attack. He was pretty sure Lucy was smart enough not to attack him; it was worthless as the keys were inaccessible to her, but he could get them if things got desperate by heating the bars and bending the metal, but she couldn't. So, he went with idea one.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, pouting. Lucy was a somewhat friend in his eyes, and it was a friends job to help pick the other up.

"It's nothing," she spat, turning away from him. "Nothing you can help with." He recoiled slightly, backing off. He noted a salty tang in the air.

"But you're crying..." he said, swerving around to look at her face to face. She was wet-eyed, her lips were a tight line, and her eyebrows were pulled together.

She didn't reply, but inwardly cursed herself for crying at a trivial time like this over a tiny matter that happened years ago. "Look, if—"

Lucy cut him off, reaching into her bodysuit. She couldn't help herself. "Do you remember this?" She pulled out, showing a slightly green-tinged vial, about half-way full with an odd neon green liquid. It was a cork-stopper, and plunged in the cork was a hook, attached to a piece of string tied around her neck. He peered at it, but no hint of recognition crossed his features.

"I thought not," she said, putting it back where it belonged, sighing, her lip continuing to tremble. "You're all spoiled brats who can't give a tiny piece of yours to others."

"What?"

She turned to glare at him. "Pneumonia, Natsu, this vial is full of a cure for pneumonia. It's a deadly disease that if it gets worse, can kill you." He blinked, still not getting it.

His powerful ears caught Gray coming down the stairs before she did. He stopped at the entrance of the cell, looking down at the prince and the girl, obviously confused. He looked beside him at the keys on the floor, clicking. Gray started laughing.

"You idiot! You locked yourself up with the girl?" he howled. "I knew you were stupid, but—" Lucy ripped Natsus boot off in one swift move and threw it at Gray. There was a thicker leather sole to it, and it made a significantly heavier Thunk against the guards face than hers did. She turned to the wall, sniffling.

Natsu noticed he had lost a boot, and Gray on the floor. He laughed at him. "Haha, Gray, Lucy—" there was a startling crack, and Natsus head whipped around.

Lucy had started to sob. How could they act so happy-go-lucky? She had asked herself miserably. When Natsu had started to laugh, there was a moment where she just wanted to hit him. So she did, striking his across the cheek. Her mother died because of them, and they didn't care. He didn't even remember.

Her eyes were hooded. "Get out." Lucy whispered, tears flowing down her face.

Natsu looked at her, and Lucy thought it was ironic that the face looked actually caring. "Now," she hissed. The prince scrambled up and Gray opened the door. Natsu stepped through, looking back at the crying girl and going upstairs. Gray sat down, out of view from Spirit, knowing when a girl needed her time alone.

She cursed herself for not getting there fast enough. She cursed the guard, Fried, she vaguely remembered, for taking so long. She cursed the Dragneel family for being so possessive. She hated everything, and most of all the boy who opened the door in the first place, who finally caught the Golden Spirit years later, and didn't know that they had crossed paths already.

* * *

**Well! we have lots of notifications for today! [if you don't wanna read, just go to the next line-breaker.]**

**I'm sorry this chapter took so long; it's been half-done for awhile now. I was making a new cover page for Chances on a new program I got called GIMP. It's fairly new to me so I've gotten some problems along the way. Now, it's done! **

**But... [yes, there's a big But in here, unfortunately.] I don't know how to get rid of this big stream of marching ants/white dotted line right in the middle of the picture! I tried everything. *sighs* PM me if you know GIMP? **

**AND I'll be going on a trip West in eight days [yay! going on a plane for the first time!] and I'll be planning to finish FireFlies BY THEN. Chances, on the other hand... well, we're only on the sixth chapter, so duh, I can't finish both MultiChaps in eight days. So, T.C. will be on hold for a week or two. I'll try to squeeze in a new chapter by then, but I make no promises.**

**AND FINALLY, If I have any new news/notifications for you guys I'll save a section of my profile for that. for example, if I haven't posted a new chapter in awhile, it'll likely say why on my board. so, check on in, if you'd like. **

* * *

**Notifications finished**

**REVIEWS!**

**Ms. Ominous: Hehe, thanks. *blushes* here's your update! sorry it took so long. **

**Tawny: HEY! sorry, I thought you'd connect the dots. The vial is the elixir that would have saved Layla from death. Lucy's saved it as a necklace all this time. thank you for reviewing. 3 **

**Sofia3: CAPS LOCK! YESSSS! THANK YOU FOR ZEE REVIEWS! I WILL ALWAYS KEEP WRITING! **

**Talia: here's your review! **

**[This is a long one,] and LifeIsWaiting: yeah, I was hoping for a twist. I wanted Lucy to be slightly more capable than just being a pampered princess, and Natsu to be uncomfortable living in a castle and hating all of his decisions being made for him. I have the next couple chapters planned out, and I'm sure you'll all enjoy it! Wendy... I think I made her a little too cute/stupid [whoops, sorry Wendy,] but I like the humour she displays. And I was hoping someone would point that out! I think that's the best line I have ever written.****_ I shan't bind myself eternally to a demon adorning a dress_****. HEHE! The PLAN S=seduction. Lucy trying to use her sex appeal. of course, it doesn't work. HERE IS YOUR UPDATE! [thanks for reviewing so much. this was a long review reply, answering most of your questions!]**

**ReViEw? [Damn, i'm out of catchy review ideas...]**


	7. Realization and Release

Lucy tried to muffle her cries in her filthy mattress, but the thin foam hardly did anything to block the noise.

Why, why, why, why, why, did she have to be captured by _him_, of all people! She hated the Dragneels, and somehow she had been captured by the _one_ person she hated the most.

Michelle toddled down the stairs, coming down faster when she heard the crying. "Lucy!" she cried. She noted the guard in front of the staircase, not the cell, and how the loud cries got even louder as she came in closer to it.

"Lucy..." Michelle pressed her face to the bars, looking at her sobbing sister. Lucy looked up, shocked that Michelle had come down and seen her like this; she was the strong one out of the two of them, the one who never cried or got hurt and was their protector. Michelle withered a bit as Lucy tried to gather her composure and wiped her tears away.

"Hey, Michelle," she croaked.

The girl put on a pouting face. "Lucy! Who did this to you?" of course, Lucy hadn't told her how her mother died, of her inborn hatred of the Dragneels. "Was it Prince Natsu? I saw him leaving just now... that—" Michelle let out a string of curses that Lucy was shocked to hear.

"Michelle!" the Celestial Spirit mage scolded weakly. "you're not supposed to know those words!" the little girl didn't even flinch, suddenly pulling herself away and running back upstairs. Lucy blinked, but with an exhausted sigh, she leaned back against the wall and fought back the tears threatening to come.

* * *

Michelle ran upstairs, running through the halls to Wendy's room. Finally, she burst through the door. Wendy looked up, startled as the girl came in, panting slightly.

"That was fast, Mi-chan," Wendy said, greeting her. She frowned when she noticed her friend was red-eyed. "What's wrong?"

Michelle now noticed the tears that threatened to spill. She wiped her face with her forearm, putting on a happy face. "Nothing. I just tripped in the hallway and hit the floor," she lied. She would have to be like her sister to do her private little mission that had started to form in her mind. Sneaky and clever.

Michelle beamed and waltzed into the room, sitting on the bed next to Wendy. The walls were painted blue, with sponged-on clouds decorating the walls. There were toys put at the edges neatly, as Wendy was very clean, and there was a blue rug put on the floor. Her bed sheets and pillows matched the walls.

Finally Michelle realized the difference between the room she was staying in and Lucy's cell. She almost shuddered, thinking about it. Princess Wendy Dragneel was nice and a good friend, but the Drageels were holding her sister captive and it was Michelle's job to help her sister.

"Hey, could we go see your brother?" she asked. Wendy frowned at her sudden interest in Natsu, but she was only a little kid, no harm could come to it, so she stood up. Michelle followed her, smiling, and Wendy led her through the halls.

* * *

The pink-haired prince was lying on his bed, in his very messy room. It was decorated red and orange, the colours of fire, but you could barely see them under the clothes and dirt piled around. Heck, even most of his furniture was covered in old clothes and food. It hadn't been cleaned in ages, but Natsu didn't mind stepping over the garbage to lie in his bed.

Lord Igneel had commanded the maids and servants to clean up every room except their own. Their room was their territory; do not touch a Dragon's possessions unless you wanted to die. Of course, this meant that the junk in Natsu's room had begun to build up in a non-effort to keep it clean.

Whatever.

Natsu sat on his bed, for once, thinking hard. Real hard. Lucy's words kept bouncing around in his head, but he didn't know where they came from. _"Do you remember this?" "Pneumonia, Natsu, this vial is full of a cure for pneumonia. It's a deadly disease that if it gets worse, can kill you."_

Pneumonia, pneumonia... he tried the word off his tongue, seeing if it felt familiar at all. Nope. He scrunched his eyebrows in frustration. Pneumonia... Finally, he stood up on his feet, very irritated, clumping through the garbage until he reached the door. He was going, _gulp_, to the library.

He opened the door, and looked down to who was blocking his way. He blinked; it was Wendy and Michelle. Why were they here?

"Hey guys." He said, standing there. Michelle looked past him, noting the stinky smell wafting from his room and the garbage practically spilling out of it. "What are you doing here?"

Michelle smiled sweetly. "Well," she brought her booted heel down hard on his shoeless one, making him cry out in pain and let out a mighty swear. "I just wanted to do that." She spun around on her heel, and stomped away.

Wendy, surprised after that and completely forgetting the hopping-on-one-foot-and-swearing prince, chased after her friend. "Wait! Michelle!" the smaller girl spun around, eyes boring into her.

"What?" she snapped.

Wendy flinched at the slate-flat tone. "What did you do that for?"

Michelle blew up her cheeks. "He made sissy cry." She told her, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Wendy's melted when she saw the younger girl. Vaguely, she heard her brother swearing in the background.

"I see." Wendy hugged the poor, innocent girl. She didn't notice the sharp gleam in Michelle's eyes as she did so.

* * *

"Mmm! Fffff..." Natsu held his stinging foot, trying not to swear again. Michelle had dug her heel into his toe, and that had _really hurt_.

He thought that Michelle inherited Lucy's violence after being raised by her as she stomped away.

The pyromaniac watched as Wendy ran after Michelle, to his dismay. Sometimes he wished gaining his mother's Healing Magic at times like this. His foot throbbed when he tried putting weight on it, and Natsu hissed.

Oh yeah. Wendy couldn't use Magic on herself.

Damn it.

Natsu put his foot down awkwardly, trying not to swear as he began walking to the library. This is what he got for trying to go down there in the first place. He swore that some Higher Power was trying to tell him, _don't go, don't go! _But when Natsu was determined to do something, he would do it.

Unfortunately, the library was in the basement, on the other side of the castle, also conveniently the room right next to Lucy's cell. A servant or two stopped him once or twice, asking if he needed help, but he ignored them.

Natsu climbed down the stairs, hobbling one step at a time, but he hopped down one too fast and tumbled down the staircase. "AHHH!" he cried out as his head hit every step, and finally, he hit the bottom, crumpled in a mess, groaning. That _really_ hurt.

The prince, with a bunch of almost comical bumps all over his body, struggled on his hands and knees, noticing someone's feet in front of his face. He reared back, and his gaze traveled higher, up the fancy black servant's uniform, a beauty mark, green eyes, and stopped when Natsu saw his hair.

"Fried!" he exclaimed, still on the ground. "I haven't seen you in a long time!"

Fried bowed. "Yes, I have been sent to serving the library since you last visited five years, two months, and nineteen days from today. You haven't been here for awhile, Prince Dragneel."

"You live down here?" Natsu eyed him. The underground library was spacious, lined with bookshelf after bookshelf with lots and lots of books stacked on them.

The forest-haired man nodded. "Is there anything you're down here in particular for?" he asked. Natsu got up onto his feet.

"Well, I was looking for something about Pneumonia." He said. Fried looked slightly surprised.

"If it doesn't pry too much into your business, prince, may I inquire why you would need such book?" Natsu looked over at him.

"Well, there's this girl, she's a criminal, but we ended up talking to each other, and she really seemed to hate me. Suddenly, she holds up a... bottle with some green stuff in it and asks me if I'd ever seen it before. She said it was a cure for Pneumonia." Fried's eyes widened.

"Hmm..." he thought for a moment. "Does this girl have blonde hair?" Natsu nodded, suddenly interested why the man would know such things.

"Well, you seem to have forgotten, but about ten years ago, a little girl and a man came up to the gates. You opened the door, because most of the servants and your parents were gone. You came running into the servant's room, so I came with you to see what was wrong. You were clearly distressed. I asked them what they came for, the man said his wife and the little girl's mother was dying of pneumonia. I gave them a bit, in a tiny vial, since it was a fairly rare potion, and they galloped off. I didn't hear of them after that." He explained. Natsu's eyes widened. So he _had_ met her before!

Suddenly, he felt guilty. no wonder she hated him. He killed her mother... he snapped out of it. "Thanks. At least I know why she hates me now," he said. Fried bowed.

"Whenever I can be of service."

Natsu climbed back up the stairs, saluting to the man one more time, then went around to the other door and climbed down those stairs. He noticed Gray sitting at the entrance, looking exhausted. He looked up as the prince came in.

"Don't worry, I'll take guard duty." Gray opened his mouth to argue, _he was a prince, not a guard, he shouldn't be guarding a criminal that he already caught,_ but Natsu shushed him. "I'll take guard duty." Gray reluctantly left, and Natsu hauled the chair over to her cell.

Lucy sat in the corner, trying to squeeze herself closer to the wall. Maybe then she would sink into it and disappear from his sight. She hissed at him. "What do you want?" she snapped, practically frothing in her hatred.

"I'm sorry." He let out.

"You think one stupid sorry is enough to get me to like you? You stupid son of a—"

"No, I'm sorry for what I was oblivious of. I killed your mother." Her heart froze, and her eyes were wide enough for her eyeballs to roll out of her head. "You were the little girl who knocked on the door that day. Your father asked for a cure to Pneumonia."

She started shaking uncontrollably at his words. "Yes, I was. My mother died because of you, and then my father started ignoring me. So I ran away. I had to become a bandit to survive. It's your fault my life was a freakin hell."

"Look, I'm sorry." He tried to calm her down. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered, standing up.

Lucy looked away as the tears overflowed. She sniffled, trying to stop them, and then something very surprising happened.

She heard the door creak.

Spirit spun around to look at the open door. Natsu walked in, not bothering to close it behind him. He kneeled in close to her, trapping her in the corner. "Look, the door's open, all you have to do is run. I'm gonna go upstairs, then in three minutes to get 'food,' then come downstairs and you'll be gone." He told her, whispering fiercely.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?" she stared at him like he'd grown an extra head.

He rolled his eyes. "Three minutes, that's it. And If I ever catch you again, I won't let you go next time." He told her, hauling her up and pushing her to the door. She stumbled a bit, holding out an arm to steady herself. She spun on him.

"Why are you doing this?" she hissed.

"Cause I owe you." The Prince's eyes bored into her. "Now go before Gray comes back." He pushed her one more time, but she remained there. He remained deadpanned, but the stubbornness of this girl was beginning to annoy him.

"I can't just leave without Michelle, or my Keys!" she whispered loudly. Natsu growled.

"Well, not my problem. My owing only goes to getting you out." he slipped by her. "I'll be upstairs, I'll send you a signal telling you if there's anyone there or not." Lucy hesitated, wondering it this was all a trap. there could very well be a dozen armed guards waiting to kill her up there, and the Prince could lie saying that she was trying to jump him. Something tugged at her though, she stepped out of her cell and followed reluctantly; she wasn't going to let this chance go, but she certainly wasn't letting Michelle or her Keys go either.

* * *

**Well! I managed to squeeze in an extra chappy before my trip! YAY! **

**TheBeastHunter: oh yeah! I didn't want Lucy to be a 'Damsel in distress' [like you put it.] like a regular old story. Lucy is strong, and clever, and people just put her in as a side character when SHE'S ONE OF THE MAIN PROTAGONISTS! I find that stupid. Natsu this and Natsu that, I wanted Lucy to get some of the spotlight too. [I don't mind... 'French,' lol] hehe! thanks for the compliments! :D**

**Miss Ominous: haha, I try. sorry for not updating in awhile, I had to finish my other story, but I hope you find this acceptable! thanks, for mentioning GIMP. I wasn't really expecting anyone to happen to stumble on this story and know the program anyway.**

**Sofia3: you'll just have to be pa-tient..! I'm not a 'bam, it just hit me, I love her/him' love kind girl. but trust me, there's gonna be a lot of juicy moments between then-and-there, I hope you'll enjoy it!**

**AngelTheSwordMage: I know! I'm a Lucy sadist... I don't MEAN to do it, it just comes out that way, I swear! "Don't hate me..!" *holds up hands* Here's your update! :3**

**JazzinAces: OMG, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NO NECT CHAPTER BUTTON?! lol. anywho, here's your next chappy! XD [love your review.] and I haven't heard of any, makes it more original! **

**Talia: Well, first you kinda look at your Fanfiction account. then you go look at your reviews and favourites and go, "Omg, these guys are so sweet..." to make then happy, you think hard about the next chapter, scream and run around the house when you hit a writers block, make a hot chocolate to calm your nerves, sit down and wonder what to type, get an idea, type it down, and post your awesomeness on the awesomeness that is Fanfiction, and then it goes in a giant circle. XD Pikaskye-sensei had taught you. **

**Young Heroes: *runs away screaming and sobbing* "don't kill me!" I'm sorry this was a little behind schedule, I had to finish my other story. "I swear!" But, here's your chappy! :3 **

**Dyeni: I know! I'm sorry! *starts bawling* I'm gonna post ASAP, got it? as soon as I get back. {;_;}**

**Tawny: Don't worry about it! honestly, it's my fault for not making it clear enough. I BLAME MYSELF, THE AUTHOR! readers aren't supposed to make their readers confused. IT'S MY FAULT! Here's your next chappy! **

**BlueKaZeBlack: hehe! thanks! May Natsu tickle you forever more! U.O" **

**LifeIsWaiting: DRAMA! *lightning crackles* MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! [yeah, I know I'm weird... XD]**


	8. Distractions and Other Lucy

Natsu waited at the top of the staircase for her, just in enough that you couldn't see him outside. Lucy could only see his silhouette in the darkness-light contrast. He leaned forward, inches from her face.

"Now look, I know you're stubborn and won't listen to a word I say. You're going to look for your Keys, right?" She nodded. "Well, fine, if you're caught, not my problem, but I don't want this owing wasted. Most of the servants and guards, you could probably handle. Do not face anyone with a uniform like Gray's. Those uniforms represent mages, and we have strong ones. Especially a yellow-haired one, Do Not cross him. You'd be screwed in a second."

"Either way, the thing you most want to avoid is my family. Wendy, she's a little kid, but if you accidently meet her without your Keys, you're screwed. Meet my mom you're screwed. Meet my dad, you're dead. Got it?" She swallowed, but nodded. _Watch for the uniforms, don't get into fights, and watch out for the Dragneels. And a yellow-haired mage._

He stepped out into the light, acting nonchalant. Spirit heard him hiss, "The room's clear. Go."

Lucy poked her head from the staircase, looked around, and saw Natsu walking away to what Lucy guessed would be the kitchen. Spirit watched him leave, then, like what he said, scrambled up the stairs and snuck through the hallways.

She was determined to find her Keys, and hopefully find Michelle as she searched. She guessed that her Key's were in Lord Igneel's room, seeing as he was the man of the house and where Natsu would likely give the rare items to.

She guessed that his room would likely be centered somewhere, showing he was boss. It was a Male Ego thing. So, Lucy snaked through the hallways, looking to see if there were any 'you are here' signs around. That would have been helpful, because this castle was so big!

Lucy looked very out of place with the marble-white hallways. Lining the walls were murals, mostly of Dragons, Lucy noted, and the occasional knight in armour. As she passed one, Spirit noticed that the stone knights held _real weapons_, so she took a knife, and a bow-and-quiver with a dozen arrows. She grinned, popping the knife into her belt [they only took its possessions, meaning she lost her old dagger,] slung the quiver over her back, and loaded the bow with an arrow. She'd stolen quite a few and knew how to use them quite well. Inaccurately, she could shoot two at a time, but a single arrow was good enough for a distraction if she needed one.

Spirit, dressed in her black one-piece, looked very out of place indeed. She hid in only the darkest of shadows if a guard waltzed by; she tugged up her hood to hide her obvious golden hair.

She tiptoed through the halls, turning the bend and seeing two grand, reddish-brown doors. She grinned wickedly, poking her head around the bend behind her, saw no one, then turned around and pressed her ear to the door.

Either it was Magically soundproofed or empty. But, being a Celestial Wizard, she specialized in sensing Magic power, so she pressed her hand against the door. The door didn't feel Magicked, so she hesitantly pressed. The doors swung open silently.

The room was grand, with plush red carpeting and huge bookcases lining the walls. Lucy stepped in, looking around cautiously for a guard or anything. She was very disappointed. Spirit had practically waltzed though the castle without being seen!

Idiots.

Vaguely, she heard someone shout. It sounded like Natsu, but the sound was too far to make out exact words. Their plan was working. [She really didn't like calling it _their plan_.] Lucy walked further into the room, going up to the desk. She sensed her Keys, making her giddy. They were silently screaming her name, letting out pulses of frantic energy release and calling to her.

She opened the top drawer, where she sensed them stored, but frowned. It was locked. Spirit tried again, then sensed there was a magic spell on it.

Lucy jumped back when Runes started typing themselves out on the drawer. "Only people with Dragon Slayer Magic can open these drawers, unless you can find the key." She read. It was simple English, but the problem was finding the key to the drawer.

She guessed it was somewhere in this room, but she had to find it quickly. Lord Igneel would likely check here first. Luckily, his room was the opposite side of the castle, giving her an extra few minutes before he came, likely going to snap her head off and feeding it to the guard dogs.

She swallowed.

Lucy snarled softly to herself, looking around the room. There was nothing but books, [strange, she didn't see Lord Igneel as a frequent reader,] and a strange Dragon statue. She deadpanned. Spirit lifted the head off the dragon, reached inside with her free hand, and lifted out a key, placing back the head. DUH!

Lord Igneel was stupid, definitely.

Lucy unlocked the drawer, and grabbed her whip and Keys. They hummed softly in her hand, making her smile. "I missed you guys too..." she told them, rubbing her thumb across the Golden and Silver Keys. Now, she was ready.

Lucy ran outside, going into stealth mode once again. She'd put the key how it was before, she closed the doors, and made sure nobody had seen. She strapped the bow back onto the quiver; she didn't need it anymore with her whip, and attached her Keys to her belt. She almost laughed when she sensed the angry energy humming from Aquarius's Key. "I missed you too, Aquarius." Lucy smiled in mock sweetness. The Key almost bucked in irritation.

Spirit snuck through the hallways, checking every corner before crossing. Eventually, the sounds of shouting got louder, and she hid behind a suit-of-armour to listen.

"—ou said the Golden Spirit got loose!" Lucy frowned, listening harder to the conversation. That sounded like Queen Grandine.

"Sorry, she was hiding! In the... dumping area! I didn't see her!" Natsu.

"Well, don't raise a false alarm like that again, son." Using her sneakiness, Lucy snaked to the corner, where she saw the whole of the Dragneel family, all facing a timid Natsu. Their backs were to her, but Natsu's eyes flickered towards the hiding girl. He seemed genuinely surprised, and Lucy's head ducked as the family turned to see what he was looking at. She scowled; _the stupid prince almost gave me away_.

The family turned back around. "Well, just don't scare us like that, okay?" Grandine scolded, letting out a huff.

"Yeah, sorry." Natsu apologized. It wasn't very sincere though.

"Hey, have you guys seen Michelle?" she heard Wendy ask, way too close for her liking. It sounded just around the bend. Her voice was strange though. "We're playing hide-and-seek, but I can't find her."

Igneel chuckled. "Let me guess, you put that clip on your nose so you couldn't smell her out?" a pause, Lucy guessed that the princess had nodded, "Well, you can't ask your family if we'd seen her. That defies the point of Hide-and-seek!"

Spirit heard the family dispersing, Wendy passed the corner. Luckily, Lucy was hiding in a deep corner, but if the blue-haired princess turned around... She held her breath.

Wendy walked further, further... around the bend. Lucy waited a few extra seconds before letting out a quiet huff, relaxing. But then, Natsu rushed around the corner, scaring the sh*t outta her. She whipped out her knife and held it to his throat.

"Whoa, whoa!" he hissed, recoiling. Lucy reluctantly pulled back, grinning sheepishly. "Don't forget who broke you out!" He snapped.

"Yeah, sorry. You surprised me." Natsu let out a breath.

"Bad news, my mom isn't letting me do guard duty, as I raised a 'false alarm,' and scared everyone. You're out, but who's in the cell now?" he asked.

"Whaddu' mean, who's in the cell now?" she frowned.

"I thought you did some sort of spell or something down there. You're still locked up in the cell!" Spirit gaped at him.

"But I'm here! Outside!" she hissed. She was getting uncomfortable at the proximity of the boy, practically pinning her there against the corner.

"Uh, no, you're not. There's another Lu- Spirit stuck down there."

She blinked. "You're sure?"

"Yeah!"

She stood up, surprising him and making him fall on his butt. "Well, I'm gonna go check it out." Lucy said. She peered round the corner, sneaking past when she saw no guards. Once she was safely across, the prince followed nonchalantly. Once they were out of sight, Natsu pushed her against the wall and held her there fast. Lucy glared at him, but he didn't flinch or loosen his grip.

"Look, there's two guards at the entrance of the cell, mages. You're gonna have to wait before you do anything, then you'll have to explain why there are two Luc- _Damn it, I keep calling you that_! Spirits. They're gonna catch you if you try seeing the other Spirit and they'll lock you up too." Natsu's keen ears caught someone's footsteps; he pushed Lucy in between two suits of armour as Wendy's head poked around the corner.

"Hey Natsu!" she grinned at her brother, walking up to him.

"Hey little sis!" the prince ruffled her hair, scooting over to the side discreetly so that Wendy's gaze was away from Spirit. If she so much as tilted her head, she would see Lucy, squished there between the suits of armour. "Did you find Michelle yet?"

Spirit's chocolate eyes widened, she didn't dare move. Wendy was practically within reaching distance, with her back to her, but even with one deep breath in with her Dragon Slayer senses she'd spin around and trap Lucy against the wall. The Stellar Spirit's heart caught in her throat, she didn't dare breathe as Natsu lead Wendy away slowly, chatting with her, but it was clear that with a backwards glance she would see her.

Lucy's hand inched towards her Keys, in case she'd have to fight. She was sure if Wendy saw her Natsu would have to team up with her too. Wild speculations and plans ran rampant through her head as their figures retreated, they disappeared around a corner, and Lucy let out a breath, clutching her breast to stop her speeding heart. Finally, Lucy stood up, hearing their voices fade away. She tiptoed in the opposite direction, not staying there and waiting for the prince.

Lucy had always had a good sense of direction, she was good at memorizing details therefore the trip to the other end of the castle was speedy. She reached the grand room with ease, only stopping to hide from the occasional guard and making one or two turnarounds.

She stopped at the top of the staircase, peeping out and seeing what Natsu said was indeed true. There were two guards at the entrance, standing tall and proud. At a distance, Lucy inspected them. One had black, upwards spiked hair, with a small tuft coming out on his forehead. He wore the regular Mage uniform, but added on his feet were a pair of what Lucy could only describe as cowboy boots. The other mage was slightly larger than the other male, with dark, slicked back blue hair, thick moustache, and tanned skin. He looked in his forties, and the black-haired boy looked about in his thirties.

The blue-haired man shifted uncomfortably. "So... what's up?" the other man remained still, but a small smile appeared on his lips.

"Are you ever impatient, Macao. We've only been on guard duty for..." the black-haired boy lifted up the sleeve of his uniform, where he checked his watch, "an hour."

Macao, Lucy supposed his name was, shifted again. "I know, Al. But seriously, Natsu made a mistake and now we're stuck here. Who's gonna break her out of the cell?" _Well, _Macao_, would you believe it was Natsu himself in the first place?_ Lucy thought amusedly.

She was gonna give them an answer, alright. What the blue-haired man said gave her an idea. Creeping out of sight, she turned a couple of bends to a quiet part of the castle, not too far away from the cell staircase. Spirit unclipped two Keys from her belt. "Open, Gate of the Twins and Goat, Gemini and Capricorn," she cried softly.

The two dolls poofed into view. "what" "may we" "do for" "you?" they asked. The humanoid goat stood proudly next to them.

"Meh duty is to serve you." He said. Lucy began explaining her plan.

"First, Gemini, you'll need to transform into the first servant that comes by, but do it secretly, okay? We can't have them see you." The dolls whizzed off and returned not a minute later, poofing next to her side again.

"It is" "done."

"Sweet." Lucy fistpumped the Twins. "Okay, Capricorn, go further into the castle, and make some noise! We need to make a huge distraction and get as many people as we can, as far away from the cell as possible." The Goat smiled.

"Yes, mistress. Are you sure your Magic levels will be okay?" he asked. She nodded at him.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine, it's only a little strain. Just return to me if you're injured or anything. Now go!" Capricorn bolted behind the bend.

Not after long, there was a loud crash far away from them. Lucy smiled, got up, and willed Gemini to follow her. She touched the Twins Key to wordlessly transmit the plan to them. Gemi and Mini nodded.

She turned the corner, and stopped, peering down at the two men. They looked concerned from the loud banging on the other end of the castle, but remained at their stations. They were well-trained.

Gemini poofed into the servant, a lanky pale man with brown hair and brown eyes, and ran into the room. "There's a Goat... in the castle... we need..! reinforcements!" he panted, seemingly winded. Lucy watched, amused as the two men perked up, and ran up to Gemini.

"Are you okay Roger?" Al asked the sweaty man.

"what was that about a goat?" Macao frowned.

"I'm... fine. Just go! They... need you..." 'Roger' panted.

They ran, but the Spirit put his hands on his knees. "Go... without me... I'll just take... a breather." He waved them off tiredly. As soon as they were out of sight, Gemini poofed back to normal. Spirit high-fived them.

"You guys are awesome," she told them. They disappeared back into the Spirit World.

Lucy ran down the stairs, and into the dark, cement-walled hallway, where she went down another staircase.

She turned the bend, and there _she_ was. Another Golden Spirit, dressed in a black, zip-able one-piece, with long golden hair and big doe-brown orbs. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail, a thick brown belt was around her waist, and she regarded Lucy with a cold edge that was commonly found in Spirit's eyes.

It was like standing in front of a mirror.

* * *

**MWAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm going on my trip tomorrow, AND I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH A CLIFFY! MWAHAHAHA- *Cough!* ... Ahem, anywho... I will be leaving tomorrow, and I'm gonna be blunt about it. I'm evil for leaving you all with a cliffy. [the next chappy is half-done!] But, I leave you all to guess JUST WHO IS OTHER LUCY! haha! **

**But, if you want some more awesome [also recently completed,] story action by me, check out my other story Four Magics/ Fireflies, a two [possibly three, in the future,] story fic! More NaLu ensues! **

**To my awesome Reviewers: **

**1fairytaillover: hmm... maybe, maybe not..! keep reading, trust me, it gets better! **

**Mythandfairytaillover3: I know, right! I think I made Wendy a little too stupid though... meh, Whatever! :D . Yes, Lucy's sex appeal didn't work.. as always. That's a lot of 'keep up the good works,' But I will though! **

**Aitanna: Haha, I wish, but I've already planned the next few chappies ****_very specifically_****. You'll see what happens... *evil cackle* MWAHAHAHAHA!**

**AngelTheSwordMage: LUCY IS FREE! YAY! But just who is Other Lucy? *dramatic music* DUH DUH DUUNNN!**

**GoldenRoseTanya: I knowwww! I'm so mean! Natsu [indirectly] killed Lucy's mother! I'm a sadist towards those two... XD**

** 08: you are indeed correct! I wanted this story to be a little more original than Lucy's a damsel in distress and Natsu's always the one saving her behind, I NO LIKE-Y. BAD STORY. lol. Lucy gets a little more spotlight in this, so Yay!**

**Sofia3: for some reason I laughed reading your review. I love making readers laugh, it makes me happy too! Hehe, Fried. "I haven't seen you, in like, FIVE YEARS!" lol. **

**Leave a review? "Cookies for everyone!"**


	9. The temporary partnership

**I'M BAAACK! WHOO! MORE CHAPPYS COMING! **

**Disclaimer, I don't own FT. *pouts***

* * *

Lucy swallowed; suddenly her throat felt dry "Who are you?" she asked cautiously, stepping forwards and inspecting the girl inside the cell.

Other Lucy regarded her coldly. She was leaning up against the wall, brown eyes searching her face. Lucy stared back at the scarily similar girl watching her frostily in the cell. Other Lucy was leaning on the wall sitting atop the thin sheet of foam they called a bed. The girl in the cell seemed unimpressed and not surprised seeing her doppelganger on the other side of the bars. Even in the dull light, Other Lucy's hair reflected it slightly, a reminder of why she was nicknamed The Golden Spirit.

"Who are _you_?" the girl in the cell asked, raising an eyebrow. Everything was the same. The one-piece suit, the gloves, the combat boots, the belt, even miniscule details like the cloak tied up to her backside, almost completely concealed to the average eye.

"_I'm_ Lucy. You're some weird imposter." Lucy pointed to herself, pressing the finger to her chest, and then pointed an accusing finger at the Other Lucy.

"How do you know that _you're_ the real Lucy?" she said, getting up and walking up to the bars. She had the grace of a wildcat, hips tilting side to side as she strode forward. "Cause I'm pretty sure I'm the Real Lucy."

"I'm the Real Lucy. It's a fact." Both Lucy's protested. The girls blinked, recoiled, then stepped forwards, faces almost pressing into the bars. The only difference between the two was Spirit was scowling, eyes flashing dangerously, while Other Lucy was smirking.

"Hey!" their faces accusingly inched closer to the bars.

"Stop copying me!" They both shouted.

"If you don't stop I swear I'm gonna go over there!" if it wasn't for the bars, their faces would be pressed together by now. "_I'm Lucy_!" They shouted at the same time. Suddenly, Other Lucy's face burst into a grin. Spirit stepped back.

"Why are you smiling?" she demanded.

"Cause you're so predictable!" Other Lucy told her. "I got you good, Luce." Her voice sounded strange; higher and lighter. There was a poof, and a cloud of pink smoke later, Michelle was standing in front of her in the cell.

Lucy gaped. "wha— you... what the..! Holy crap!" she couldn't form a complete sentence.

"Hey Luce." She smiled widely, enjoying the look on her sister's face.

"What the hell, Michelle!" Lucy demanded. "Why can you..?"

"Why can I turn into you?" she grinned. "Well, I was planning to show you once I perfected it, but I think I did well enough now! The look on your face was hilarious!" The smaller girl laughed. Spirit was still dumbfounded.

"How'd you learn Transformation Magic?" as far as she knew, Transformation Magic had three levels. The first was you could change your form, second was clothing and form, and third was changing your body shape completely. Michelle was using high level Second Transformation Magic, which surprised her. Michelle was simply never a mage until now. She couldn't even summon Plue.

"Well..." she ducked her head. "I was walking through Magnolia, and there was this man. He kept following me. I went into the forest, but he kept on my trail. I was really scared, but I couldn't shake him off. Suddenly, he caught up with me and suddenly he was staring at another him. He was scared off, and then I realized it."

"And _why_ didn't you tell me this sooner?" She demanded.

"Cause I knew you would probably hunt down that one guy and torture him to death," she admitted. Lucy ducked her head, blushing a furious red. It was probably true. Strange thoughts of an evil, fire-breathing Lucy came to mind.

_"Give me the stalker!" she roared, crushing yet another house. The people screamed and ran in panic of the giant Spirit, collecting meager supplies and running for the hills while Lucy cackled._ The woman shook her head, wiping the thoughts from her mind.

"Fine, whatever. Now let's get you out." Lucy said, changing the subject. Michelle shook her head.

"No. I'm staying here, and you're running." She told the girl outside the cell. Spirit blinked in confusion.

"Wha..? No, Michelle, I'm gonna break you out." Just then, Capricorn poofed next to her.

"The guards will be back in about two minutes, Lucy." The look on his face was strained, and he quickly poofed back to the Spirit World.

Michelle shook her head. "Lucy, your Spirits don't work in here. No offensive Magic other than Dragon Slayer can be used in here. Meaning no Spirits. I can't even do Third Level Transformation Magic. Now go before they find you!"

Lucy rattled the bars frustratingly. She couldn't break them without a strong Spirit like Taurus or Leo or even Virgo would be helpful right now. The key wasn't down here. It was likely on one of...

Gray! Lucy spun around. "I'm getting you out of here, I promise, Michelle. Just stay here... and pretend to be me." she told her, spinning on her heel and running to the staircase.

Lucy ducked her head outside. She'd only just noticed, but as soon as she exited with her Keys, an almost mental pressure was lifted. It was like a drone in the back of her head, but it left as soon as she started climbing up the stairs.

She sighed, poking her head out. There were no people, but instead of heading up the second staircase, she turned towards the grand doors that led outside. Lucy knew there were probably guards, so she summoned Gemini again. Although, she was beginning to get tired.

"Okay Gemini, transform into Roger again and distract the guards." The Twins, knowing their time was short, changed and ran out the doors. Lucy kept a hand on their Key, and when it gave a little pulse, Lucy slipped out the gates and hid in a bush, letting out a breath.

She remained there, collecting energy as Gemini/Roger ran up and poofed back into their Key.

Lucy stayed there for a good five minutes, taking in deep breaths until she ran enough energy to summon at least two more Spirits. Just in case, she didn't want to be underprepared.

Spirit snaked through the hedges, following them until the exited the castle walls and soon, there was nothing stopping her except a few, empty meters of grass.

Looking up, she saw guards on the wall, watching. This was gonna be an easy one. Lucy was skilled in tiny tricks like this that helped her through her eight years of stealing.

Lucy picked up a small rock, just large enough to fit in the palm of her hand. Spirit turned around, and flicked it upwards, so the rock bounced against the stone floor, creating a loud bang behind the guards. They spun around, searching behind them, and Spirit bolted for the safety of the forest.

Giving one last glance to the red-and-white castle, she blew it a raspberry before heading back into the forest.

* * *

Spirit walked for awhile, until her throat was parched and she could only see the tallest spires of the castle over the treetops. She stumbled through the deep forest, avoiding low-hanging branches and large insects.

"Stupid me..." she should have known better than to waltz into a forest like this! She was getting thirsty, and wouldn't be able to go on for much longer without water. She stopped occasionally at a berry bush and ate the tiny fruit that she recognized, but the dry, sun-baked berries did barely anything to squelch her aching throat.

She stopped once again, not daring to hunt because it would be wasted as she couldn't light a fire. Too suspicious. Lucy stumbled through the forest, throat parched and dry, limbs shaking from lack of nutrition, brown eyes dull with fatigue. She stopped momentarily and leaned on a tree. Neck aching, she looked up and with the position of the sun, estimating the time.

She'd been walking for only an hour. That was just sad. The food in the cell not being very nutritious plus not having moved in awhile was not helping. Her stomach rumbled and she was very aware of the dryness in her throat. The sun beat down on her, the canopy of leaves doing nothing to repel the (just her luck,) intense heat.

Spirit sighed, but continued walking. If she didn't get food or at least water soon she would collapse she was sure of it. But Michelle was still down there, so she wouldn't stop. Spirit breathed through her nose, because dry air on her throat was really painful at this point.

Not too later, Lucy sunk to the ground on her knees. She blinked sleepily at her shaking limbs. She was stupid not to hunt earlier. Now, she could barely stand, much less hunt for food. Her meager supplies of berries she'd found on a stray bush had run out, and the chances of some dumb rabbit stumbling by before she collapsed was nonexistent.

Lucy smiled drowsily and finally fell forward, face splattering into the mud. Not that she cared. Her last meal was... How long ago? She could almost imagine hearing the slow trickle of water if she thought hard enough. But Spirit could just stay here and fall asleep. Take a nice long nap in the mud.

...

Mud?

Lucy scrambled onto her hands and knees, eyes widening in realization. Her hands squeezed the thick brown stuff in her hands. Mud meant water. Lucy smiled triumphantly and pushed through the reeds, which she recognized as cattails that only grew around rivers and lakes.

A small stream. Lucy almost shouted her delight but didn't waste time; she cupped the fresh, cool water in her hands and drank greedily. The water felt so good and refreshing on her throat. Finally, she pulled back, only now noticing the small cabin in front of her.

_ Wow... I nearly collapsed from dehydration and hunger in front of a house and stream... I'm a fail, _Spirit scolded herself. Cautiously poking through the reeds, the inspected the strange cabin in the middle of nowhere. It appeared empty.

She noted there were clothes hanging on a line attached to the back of the house and a tree. There was people inhabiting here, but they weren't here. Lucy peered at the line. There were large muscle shirts, dresses, and smaller t-shirts hanging up.

Eyes darting around nervously, she crept up to the line, quickly pulling a long-sleeved shirt and pair of blue breeches down and darted back into the forest. She wouldn't dare going inside the house, even if she was hungry. She wouldn't be able to escape if the inhabitants of the house walked in as she was stealing.

Spirit walked a bit before stripping from her dirty, torn, one piece and changing into the new clothing. She tucked the black cloth, and reluctantly her cloak, into the high branches of a tree. Without her cloak she almost felt naked. It was against her nature to dispose of the thing that could hide her from sight. Plus, the shirt she was wearing was white; if she wore black it would make her more recognizable, but Lucy wasn't comfortable wearing such a bright colour. She even disliked Celestial Spirit clothing, as soft and nice as they were.

Now that Spirit was hydrated, she started for the castle again. She climbed into the high branches of a tree and waiting for a bit until an unfortunate rabbit passed by. Luckily, Lucy had good aim and the arrow shot it down quickly. The Celestial Spirit mage scampered down quickly and picked up (with the tips of her fingers,) the carcass and summoned Virgo.

"Hello, Princess. How may I be of service?" the Maiden asked. Lucy smiled.

"Hey Virgo. Could you get me a pan, a tarp, and some rope?" she asked. The Spirit poofed out, and then quickly returned with the items. She deposited them on the floor and bowed.

"May I be of any more service, Princess?" Lucy waved her off.

"No, I'm fine, thanks. You may leave now." Virgo disappeared, and Lucy set to work. She tied the rope to the tarp and attached the end to nearby tree branches. Underneath, she made a small campfire and set it alight. The smoke was caught in the tarp.

Lucy put the pan on the rocks and (extremely disgusted,) peeled small strips of raw flesh from the bones of the rabbit and put it on the pan. She had done it before, but the fact did barely anything to stop herself from gagging.

Spirit waited impatiently for the food to cook and kept the meager fire going. If it was made too big either the inhabitants of the house or the soldiers of the castle would be able to see her, but the small fire meant food was going to cook slowly.

Eventually, the strips of meat were deemed cooked enough by Lucy and she ate quickly before extinguishing the fire and getting rid of the evidence. She called Virgo to take the tarp and pan back. She wrapped the rope around a loophole in her belt, hidden underneath her shirt, and turned back to the direction of the castle.

* * *

Back at the Dragneel Fortress, Natsu was once again in his room thinking. His eyebrows were furrowed together and his lips were formed in a little pout. His onyx orbs were searching the ceiling restlessly.

Was it a good idea to let the bandit named Lucy go? Natsu wondered. He recounted the little girl and older man waiting at the gates that day. The Dragon slayer should have searched for Fried faster. Maybe then Lu— Spirit's mother wouldn't have died. He assumed that had happened.

But what happened to her father? Spirit clearly distasted him. There was a flash or pity for the poor girl who had to take care of a child on her own in the forest, but Natsu knew she wouldn't want it. He could almost imagine what she'd say.

_ Pity won't get you anywhere. _Or something like that. He still felt sorry for her though.

Once again he wondered about Spirit's father. "_My father? He can go die in a hole for all I care," _she'd said. Maybe she'd run away? Natsu could never imagine leaving the castle. Sure, he did on jobs and such, but never forever. He'd have too many friends to leave, and there was Igneel and Grandine and his little sister too.

Nope, he would never leave the castle.

_ I wonder where Lucy is now? _Despite himself, he did worry for her slightly. He did kinda owe it to her that she didn't get eaten by wild animals.

He didn't doubt her ability to protect herself though. Anyone that could fight _The _Natsu Dragneel and live to tell the tale without any burn marks on their body was a good fighter. Natsu reminded himself that the only reason she willingly came in the first place was because he'd caught her sister, but whatever.

Speaking of which, Wendy burst in at that moment, interrupting his thoughts. "Have you seen Michelle?" she asked, a hint of worry in her tone. Her voice was strange though because she still wore the clip on her nose.

Natsu looked over at her. "You haven't found her?" he said. She shook her head.

"No. I haven't seen her," he responded. Wendy sulked but closed the door. Natsu, with his super hearing, listened to her footsteps leaving.

Unfortunately, the thoughts didn't stop racing inside of his head. He worried for the bandit, but he had his own problems too. He had to _marry someone _in less than a month. The very idea was horrifying to him. _Settling down _with somebody? It would only hold him back from... whatever stuff he did. Like beating evil monsters destroying all of a towns crops, or capturing a group of rogue bandits, _yeah,_ those type of things. He did not want to stop because of a _girl._ Besides, most girls that would want to marry him wanted to because of his money.

Natsu had never really depended on money; sure, he bought stuff now and then but most of it was kept at a minimum. Why buy more than you can carry?

The Dragon Slayer shook his head. He always followed his train of thought wherever it went, especially if it was off topic, it seemed. Natsu whipped his head back and forth again and stood up. He deemed himself thinking too hard, so decided to take himself on a walk.

Stepping through all the garbage, he opened the door and found himself surprised for the second time opening the door. Natsu was staring at... himself.

"Look, I only have a few minutes to talk to you," Other Natsu told him. The real Dragon Slayer blinked.

"First another Lucy and now another me?" he cried. Other Natsu rolled his eyes, pushing through into the room and slamming the door behind him. There was a poof, and Michelle stood in front of him. Natsu's eyes widened.

"First, don't call Lucy Lucy. She's Spirit to you. Second, I know you're the one who broke her out. I'm Other Lucy, but if they find us out, trust me, if you don't help me I'll drag you down with us, chapishe? Now look, you under no circumstances can tell that I'm not Lucy. And you can't let her get caught. She'll come back for me, I know, but I owe her for all the years I've known her because she took care of me and I'm doing this for her. If anyone sees her then we're all going down. You're lucky that your family didn't take in a long whiff of you. You smell like Lucy." she told him rapid firedly. He nodded in confusion, brain too muddled trying to follow the girl.

She sighed. "Me Other Lucy. If guards find that that 'Lucy' isn't there, we're both screwed," the little girl said slowly, doing airquotes. Natsu nodded in confirmation.

"Now look, I owe Lucy and for now, I own you. So help me." she told him. Natsu shook his head.

"Whaddu mean, you own me? Nobody owns _The _Natsu Dragneel." He scolded. She rolled her eyes.

"Look, I can tell how _you _broke out the super-dangerous criminal that is my sister, right?" Michelle scoffed. "'I can easily tell them the truth about you breaking Lucy out, Duh. Do you think Lord Igneel will appreciate his son breaking a criminal out of jail?" The Dragon Slayer gulped. No fire-food for weeks. Plus, he would likely marry him to the ugliest and most pesky girl on the planet to him and lock him up in the castle with her for the rest of his life. _Bad idea. Listen to the kid, Natsu._

Natsu pouted, but realized that this small little girl had thought of everything. "Fine, I'll look out for her, but you have to answer some questions. I owed Lucy because I killed her mother an-" Michelle gaped at him, and before he could finish, she launched herself at him.

"You what!" she yelled, kicking and snarling, "My sister she loved her mom! She told me she died on pneumonia, but you killed her! You dirty little-" Natsu clamped a hand over her mouth and the girl spat into it, still trying to squirm out of his grip on the floor. The Dragon Slayer tried not to wipe his hand off.

"Look, I didn't kill her directly, she came to the castle ten years ago and asked us for a cure to the disease that her mother was dying from. I wasn't fast enough and I guessed that she died." Michelle stopped struggling and Natsu let her go. The girl glared at him, and once she got up on her feet, stomped on his foot. He yelped for the second time that day and held his stinging toes, biting his lip.

"What was that for?" he demanded. Michelle gave him a mocking-sweet smile.

"For taking too long. Lucy deserves a big apology. Did you know, every July 7th, we go travel back to her old village and pay our respects to Laylas grave? She's done it for ten years. She really misses her mom, since her dad was such a deadbeat after Grandma Layla died." _Oh... That explained a lot._

"Second question. How did you get out?" he asked, still holding his foot. He swore she wore cement boots, his toes hurt so much.

Michelle smiled wickedly. "When I stomped on your foot the first time, I was carefully taking your details in so I could transform into you. And I'm small enough to squeeze through the bars in my normal form. Those cells aren't meant to hold children. So, I slipped through, climbed up the stairs quietly, pretended like I was still playing hide-and-seek with Wendy and was there all along to slip past the guards, took your form, sniffed my way up here, and now here I am. The guard will be down... In about four minutes to check up on 'Lucy.'"

"Yeah, fine, I'm going, I'm going." he mumbled. "Just make sure that you don't get caught."

She nodded, eyes sincere. For a moment, something passed between them, some silent agreement for a [temporary,] partnership. "I know. I can't get caught or Lucy will be in danger again. Just make sure you don't go for a few minutes, we can't have two Natsu's walking around." with that, she took the pink-haired prince's form [much to the surprise of Natsu, who still wasn't accustomed to the transformations,] and left the room, leaving the real Dragon Slayer behind.

* * *

**O-kaay! I'm back, as I said before, and I came with a new chapter, yaaayyyyyy! I had a great time, got lotsa stuff and found a new anime to watch! [great, more things i'm crazy for...] [watch Evangelion, it's a really great anime!] well, either way, i'm sorry for the week-long wait! *sheepish grin* and I honestly think this is a crappy chapter, although long, for such a wait. I hope to make it up to you guys in the future!**

**hehe, review replies!**

**1Fairytaillover: nope! you got it wrong! ;3**  
** MythandFairyTailLover13: OOOoohhh... now I get it *makes duckface*...**  
** AngelTheSwordMage: Sting dressed up as Lucy..? no. you're right. just... no.**  
** LifeIsWaiting: what happened to your account? nope, it's not Edo-Lucy! :D**  
** axlorg89: I know! I'm too evil to you guys. VERY interesting question. you were like the only review I really remembered on my trip. I do find there's a tiny gap there too, but I tried to explain it there a little more this chapter. I totally see what you mean though. I reread and slightly winced at the awkwardness of the problem too. Lucy or Spirit, [whatever,] hates him cause she blames the Dragneels for being slow, seeing as if Natsu was faster her mother wouldn't have died, as she died minutes before she got there. yeah... **  
** Tawny: HMMMmm... that's convenient..! yeah, Natsu lets Lucy go! yay! YOU are one of the two people to guess right! Remember, Michelle Lobster was actually Imitatia, the Master of Mimicry and Disguise! mwahahahaha! **  
** Aitanna: here's your chappy! 3**  
** .9083: "DON'T KILL ME!" *Runs away from an angry Sofia waving a stick around* "I-I'm back! h-here's your chapter!" I love the library too! funny story, I borrowed some books from there before my trip and I didn't finish them in time so I had to renew them before I could go! heh, whoops. **  
** : I shall! **  
** : Nope! :3 Here's your update! **  
** Talia: yep, expect lotsa more action and ro-mance in next chapters! :3**

**Because this story is getting much more popular, I don't know if i'm gonna continue doing review replies. Don't get me wrong, I love replying to each and every one of my epic, totally awesome reviewers, it's just the amount of reviews I'm getting at this rate to squeeze at the bottom of the chapters is... well, kinda filling. I think unless if I get a minimum amount of reviews, I'm not going to be able to do them anymore, sorry! Of course, I will still name your name at the bottom, just not likely reply. I will PM [private message,] anyone who replied and has an account. Although, I may do one-or-two reviews randomly chosen to write. **


	10. Gray vs Lucy

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT ZEE BOTTOM!**

**Iz doz notz ownz zeez Fairyz Tailz, zeez awesomez zatz iz Hiroz Mashimaz doez. [Don't ask me why I finished it all with Zs. I don't know...] **

* * *

"This is so, so very gross."

Lucy had found the berry bush she had taken before, and was now using the juice to dye her hair red. The sensation was so strange it was just creepy to the bandit, especially when a lone drip would crawl down her neck and she'd take it as a bug and scream.

The intense heat dried the juice in her hair and quickly she had locks the colour of raspberries. She let her hair down and frowned at it, already missing the golden colour.

_ But I'll be too recognizable if I still have blonde hair_, she tried to convince herself, getting up and resuming her trip to the castle. She had attached a grapple-hook on the end of her rope, [something she'd always kept in handy,] her arrows and dagger were sharp, she was now fully energized, Magically and physically, and was ready to storm the castle if need be. It was only now a five-minute walk.

Suddenly, the bandit sensed something to her right. In the blink of an eye, she took her dagger from her belt, flung it at the pursuer, and heard a yelp. It sounded masculine, and she got an arrow notched into her bow, pointing it in the direction of the sound.

"Oi oi oi!" the man yelled, annoyed. Lucy deadpanned. _It couldn't be..._

She pushed through the bushes, and there he was, the dagger pinning his shirt to a tree. Prince Natsu. Her eyes narrowed, and she drew the arrow back, pointing it at his throat. The previous annoyed expression turned into a wide-eyed one. "You nearly hit my scarf!" he growled.

She rolled her eyes, pulling the arrow back a little. "You can't kill me!" he swallowed, voice unusually high-pitched.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Yes I can. Just by letting this arrow fly. I haven't killed anyone before, but this would be a first. Say your words carefully, and don't move, or I will let go of the string before you can say flame-up." she hissed.

Natsu continued staring at the arrow. "You really are a—" he stopped there because the bandit was giving him the Death Glare. He swallowed and quickly cut himself off. "Uh, yeah, I just came to stop you from coming here. Michelle doesn't want you too, but she can't get out in case the guards realized that she wasn't Lu—"

"Spirit." Lucy corrected snappishly.

"Yeah, whatever. Just in case they realized that she wasn't _Spirit, _happy?" he scoffed. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Look, I'm going there anyways, and you're not going to stop me." she pulled the arrow away and sighed, putting the arrow back in her quiver and placing the bow around her arm. She ripped the dagger out of the tree, knowing that it would just go to waste holding the prince.

Natsu stood up. "But if Michelle knows that you're here, my dad will kill me," he whined. He rarely did 'whine,' but he needed her to stop moving closer to the castle. When he saw her continuing, he grabbed onto her ankle and held on tight, like a little child not wanting to take a bath.

"Oh, the Mighty Prince Dragneel is a daddy's boy, is he?" she taunted, wanting him to get off. He took the bait, standing up and growling at her. It was, honestly like a growl, like a feral animal wanting to eat her. [She had too much experience with that.]

Lucy noticed, for a split second, his eyes were slits, like a reptiles, and his black eyes had something like an angry spark in them. She only had a split second to look though, because she kicked him down there, and bolted. From the corner of her eye, she saw Natsu double over, hold his crotch, and heard him groan.

"Owwwuhhhh..!"

Lucy scrambled up a nearby, tall, bushy tree, and after awhile saw the prince come into view. "you think that I can't climb a tree, even if you kicked me in the crotch?" he asked, growling. He limped a little when he walked, and Lucy inwardly beamed.

"No." she replied, giving him a raspberry. He hefted himself on the lowest branch and proceeded to climb upwards. The bandit did too, moving up for every branch that he did. Soon, Lucy was at the maximum branch she could, a little more than an arm's reach from Natsu, who was at his end too. He was just too heavy for the next branch. Already their branches were beginning to creak threateningly.

Spirit smirked at the boy below her. "You can't get me." she taunted.

"You think that I can't climb an extra branch?" Natsu said, looking up.

"No. Unless you want it to break and fall."

He grabbed onto the next branch, and realized that he really _couldn't_ climb up another branch. He scowled, looking up. "Yeah, okay, maybe I can't, but you can't use Magic up here, unless _you_ want to fall." _Crap. _She hadn't thought of that.

Natsu lit his finger on fire, and proceeded to poke the trunk of the tree threateningly. Spirit swallowed. If the bark caught fire, she would be stuck here.

"No!" she cried. He pulled his finger away, but kept it close.

"Yeeessss?" he blinked slowly.

"Don't... do that!" she snapped, breathing heavily. He could easily kill her, then and there.

"Climb down." Natsu commanded. She sighed, but knew he won, at least until she could get away. they climbed down, one at a time, Natsu waiting at the bottom for Lucy to get there too.

The bandit looked down, sighing, grabbing onto a branch, pressing her foot to stable boughs, swinging herself down...

"Eiee!" she cried, foot slipping. She was almost down, but her hand had slipped off the bark and she tumbled to the ground. The skinny branches poked and scratched her, and she covered her face with her forearms.

Suddenly, the scratching stopped, but she still fell. She knew she was about to hit the ground, but then, she was thrown sideways. "Ouf!" somebody grunted when they hit the dirty forest floor.

Lucy, bewildered, looked around. There wasn't... "Down here..." the person groaned.

She looked down. She was sitting on Natsu...

Wait...

SHE WAS SITTING ON NATSU!

Lucy got up quickly, realizing that this was the perfect time to run. Taking a deep breath as Natsu had gotten up on his hands and knees, she bolted for the tall spires of the castle she'd seen up in the tree. She'd only hope that the guards hadn't seen her.

She ran as hard as she could to the castle, quickly summoning Gemini. "Look, you know what to do, but fast!" The Twins nodded, turned into Roger, and ran up to the gates. The guards turned and looked at him as he came in, and Lucy threw a rock on the other side of the wall. The guards turned and looked, she bolted for the hedges, and she slipped inside, unnoticed.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Lucy swallowed. The loud voice was right outside the wall. The bandit walked next to Roger, in the bushes, and the Grand Doors opened. She slipped in.

* * *

Gray, Gray, Gray, Gray, Gray...

Once Gemini returned to the Spirit World, Lucy crept through the halls, looking for the raven-haired Ice mage guard. She had been searching for half-an-hour already...

She passed a few guards, but none of them had been dark-haired Gray. There was a man wearing something like a visor, she'd passed Macao, a ginger-haired ponytail guy, and a really fat guy, but not Gray.

She almost growled in frustration, when she saw someone passing by on the opposite end of the hall. It was... just her luck! Gray, walking alongside a chatty Wendy. Lucy's face split into a grin.

After ten seconds, she crept along the corner they had passed around. She followed them for awhile, listening to their conversation.

"Well, I honestly don't think Natsu _needs _to be married. He clearly doesn't want to," a concerned Wendy told the guard.

"Don't worry, he'll find a gal he likes... although, I can't say the same for the girl!" Gray smirked.

"Yes, Gray-san, but I don't like the idea of having him forced into it. But mom says it's because he's going to be the Lord of the castle one day and needs a Queen."

"That's what usually happens. The oldest Male child." Wendy pouted, but suddenly brightened up.

"Hey, Gray-san?" she looked up at him. "Could I say something... kinda embarrassing?" the guard blinked, turning around another corner, Lucy continued to follow them, making her footsteps as light as could be.

"Yeah, sure, is something bothering you?" he asked. Wendy shook her head.

"No, I just thought that Spirit and Natsu would go good together." Lucy's eyes bulged out of her head. _'WHAT?_' she almost screamed. Her and... she shuddered, _Natsu? _

_ NononononononononoNO!_

What was Princess Wendy even _thinking!_ That was... so, totally WRONG!

Gray seemed to find it amusing, unlike the girl behind them. "Well, Spirit is... well, spirited. But... she can't put up with Natsu that well it seems. But, I guess, I could see them together if they got to know each other more." Lucy silently gagged. She'd already HAD enough with Natsu, thank you very much.

Finally, the guard deposited Wendy at her room. "Would you like anything else, Princess?" he asked, bowing.

Lucy heard her say, "No, I'm fine," so Gray closed the door and left. Lucy pressed herself to the wall, and the guard passed her. At the next bend though, he stopped. Lucy hid behind another suit of armor, but Gray continued.

He led her round a bit, until he exited the castle, to a small, grassy area with flowers and plants growing all around. A garden. Gray stopped in the middle of it, but the Golden Spirit remained inside, hiding behind a door.

"You can stop hiding, thief. I had to check if you after the Princess or me first. I knew you were there the whole time." Lucy froze, but knew that he had found her. She stepped out into the sunlight.

First, she analyzed the battlefield. It was the first thing Bandit thing to do in a fight. She would play dirty, if need be, and she had to see the quickest exit points.

It was hot, and Gray was an Ice-mage. Point for her. Of course, Lucy didn't know the extent of his powers. Point for him. Lucy, if she continued moving, would unlikely be recognized. Point for her. Because there was already a 'Lucy' in the cell, Gray wouldn't suspect too much that she was the real one. Point for her. The Ice mage knew their surroundings better. Point for him.

The point was to remain unrecognized, meaning she couldn't use her Keys.

Unless Gray was a crappy mage, she was doomed.

Lucy got out her bow, notching an arrow in it and running to the left. Gray smirked, unmoving. She continued running, sending a glance above. No guards either, meaning unless Gray called for reinforcements, none were going to come. She saw the key-ring on his belt, shining in the fierce sunlight.

Plus, Natsu was probably following her scent, so she had to do this quickly, or else reinforcements _would_ arrive.

The odds were definitely against her.

Gray finally spoke up. "You're not a mage, but once you let that arrow fly, I will attack you with all my power." He said. She didn't speak, just let go of the string in answer. She was prepared to fight.

To her surprise, the arrow dropped in the air, thudded onto the ground, and shattered. Lucy's brown orbs widened. The Ice-mage had coated the arrow in ice so it would weigh down and break. The bandit scowled, notching another arrow. This time, she put in two, drew the string back, and fired.

Once again, they flew to the ground and shattered. Lucy only had eight arrows left. Lucy didn't dare use her whip, so she got out her dagger, holding it in her right hand, point facing outwards. The corner of the guards mouth twitched upwards.

"Okay, you asked for it." Suddenly, the temperature dropped and a dozen frozen, what looked like birds, ice creatures materialized in the air. For a second, they hovered there, above the guard's shoulders, before dashing forwards, all aiming at Lucy.

Spirit yelped, moving backwards, dodging the first three, running right to avoid four more. They turned slightly, trying to follow her, but the Ice Birds weren't fast enough and smashed into the ground, exploding into icy powder.

Spirit dived as another aimed for her head, rolling quickly so it didn't smash into her stomach. The bird crashed into the ground instead, and the [now] redhead scrambled up to her feet, breathing heavily. She used the dagger to split another Ice-creature into two, rendering it useless.

She'd thought she'd gotten them all, but something pierced her stomach. The bird caught her in the ribs, and she doubled over, eyes wide.

The wound was bleeding. She pressed her hand to the cut and it came off red. Lucy swallowed, staring at her scarlet fingers, then down at the shredded shirt.

_Michelle was still down there. _Although her stomach hurt and she was feeling nauseous from the sight of her own blood, she straightened and glared at the guard. "If you stop now I'll give you mercy," Gray told her. Lucy took a deep breath, ripping off a shredded part of her shirt to tie it tightly around her side.

"See, there's another girl down there..." he froze for a second, and Lucy was fearful that he was close to the truth. "You wouldn't be trying to break her out, would you?" the bandit inwardly sighed in relief.

"What girl?' she said, making her voice slightly higher. Gray seemed reassured.

"Well, you'll meet her soon, so I'm not too worried." Another dozen Ice-birds materialized in the air. Lucy despaired for a moment before they flew forwards with a scream, splitting the air to make that sound.

Lucy knew, to dodge them all, she would have to wait until the last moment before moving, or they could turn around and impale her from behind. Even though her instincts told her to run, she fought against them as the ice flew nearer.

She dived, and rolled onto her feet, dashing past the ice-birds as the smashed into the ground. She flung the knife forwards, and it scraped into Grays arm. He howled, but an Ice wall materialized between them, stopping a bewildered Lucy for a split second. She scowled, moving around it, and an Ice Wall appeared behind her.

If she'd remained there for an extra split-second she would have been trapped. Lucy stood up on her feet, but for a moment, sagged; she looked down at the ruby-red cloth tied around her waist. If she didn't get that fixed up soon, she would likely collapse from blood-loss.

But still, Lucy didn't dare get out her Keys. Do that, and Michelle would be in danger. They could easily kill her for tricking them. The major rule of this battle was to not get caught, dead or alive. Do that, and everything would be for nothing.

Lucy looked up, and her eyes widened. "Oh my god!" she shrieked. "Your clothes, you pervert!" the bandit covered her eyes. Gray was full-on,_ in his birthday suit_.

The guard cursed and worked to get at least his boxers on. He scowled at his stupid stripping habit. "He he, sorry," he muttered.

She slowly uncovered her eyes, seeing him now in his pants. "What the hell do you think you're doing, pervert! Showing off your..! Your..! That!" she snapped.

"It's a habit!" he cried exasperatedly, throwing out his hands.

"That is disgusting!"

"I'm sorry!"

Great, Lucy was fighting a stupid, half-naked stripper, with nothing but her arrows, which did no good against the Ice mage. Her dagger lay at his feet, and the wound she had inflicted was covered in ice. Her wound, on the other hand, was much deeper and she had barely anything to wrap herself up with.

Plus, she'd started feeling weak. Balance was hard to obtain, because the floor was beginning to spin. The bandit knew, even if she got the keys to Michelle's cell at this point, she wouldn't be able to get there in time.

Gray smirked, knowing that this thief was nearly down. Her eyes were dulling and she couldn't run in a straight line.

Lucy, in a last attempt, notched another arrow and let it fly. It missed Gray by a foot. She blinked hazily, and collapsed on the ground, sliding into the grass a bit. The girl struggled onto her hands and knees, spitting onto the ground.

She knew the fight was over.

The bandit, even though her pride detested it, knew when it was time to flee. Lucy got up, and bolted for the wall. Gray seemed surprised that she was still able to move, but created an icy Wall to block her.

Lucy was expecting it and sidestepped the Ice, running again to the white-and-red bricked thing that stood in her way. She grabbed her rope with the grappling hook and swung up to the wall. Luckily, it caught, and she scaled up the wall quickly

Gray didn't mind, it didn't matter if she got away as long as she was away from here. She wasn't a mage, and couldn't steal too much before the soldiers caught her. Not worth his time.

As a last effort, he froze the rope she was climbing; she was almost at the top already, and she almost slipped before grabbing onto the ledge and hauling herself up. The thief disappeared over the side, leaving a trial of bloody scarlet in her wake.

Damn, now he was gonna have to clean that up.

Someone burst through the doors, huffing and puffing. The pink-haired man lifted his head, eyeing Gray. "Have you seen a redhead around here?" he asked.

"I chased the thief off. She didn't know about Spirit. Probably just after some Jewels **[Fiore's money,] **in this place." He reported. "I injured her quite badly though." He noted that Natsu froze when he said this, but it was so fast it could have been just his imagination.

"I'm gonna go get the cleaning boy so I can get rid of that blood smear," he said, looking at the wall. The prince followed his gaze and tried to keep his look impassive. There was a long trail of blood where Spirit had scaled the wall, and even from here, he could smell it.

"Yeah... yeah, you go do that," Natsu said, getting his hands off his knees and standing up. The two walked together back into the castle.

* * *

Lucy stumbled through the forest, sometimes stopping and taking a breath before walking again.

Did she say that the ground was spinning before? Well, now it was like a rollercoaster, and she couldn't get herself to walk more than ten steps without falling. She crawled on her knees after the twentieth trip, lethargically sloshing through the underbrush.

She was tired and slow-thinking and everything hurt. The multiple small cuts made on her fall from the tree stung, and didn't help her at all. The stomach injury continued staining the white cloth scarlet, even though it did barely nothing to help.

Finally, she collapsed completely, after travelling for what felt like hours on her fours. Her wound tainted the mud a reddish tinge, and her head sunk into the muck gratefully. Slowly, her eyes fluttered shut, and she lay there unmoving.

* * *

**Okay, if you're reading this because you've read the little note at the top, or just reading it cause you read my A/Ns, here's the message. I NOW ACCEPT FAIRY TAIL ART AND ONE-SHOT REQUESTS! YAY! so, just PM me your ideas and I will write/draw them! [if you want an example of my art, look at the coverpage. MINE, ALL MINE! *evil cackle*] **

**ANNNDDD, I decided to leave you with a cliffy! I'll give you a hint; I used a****_ particular_**** word to hint at something... hmm... Well, that's all I'm gonna say! **

**Thank you: Chant789, Aitanna, MythandFairyTailLover, and Lucky Love of Life! [remember, I'm only doing a few review replies now, but I'll try to reply to all of you in future chappys!]**

**SofiaQuintero: yay! you're not gonna kill me! *does a mini party dance* trust me, you will see ALL of those guys VERY SOON. **

**and Tawny: YEAH! you guessed right! thanks for the recommendation. I was slightly concerned about that too, you'know, Lucy/Spirit, and I tried to lessen the switch in this chappy. **

**ELVIS: Review, thank you, thank you very much.**

**PIKASKYE: when did he get here?**

**Review? **


	11. Soft interior

**PLEASE READ AN IF YOU DIDN'T LAST CHAPPY! **

**Two chappys in one day! whoo! i'm on a roll!**

**Simply put, I don't own FT.**

* * *

"Oh, you're awake."

Lucy groaned, head pounding, sides aching. Her hand moved limply to cover her eyes; it was bright outside, too bright, and she didn't like it.

"Okay, not quite." The feminine voice chuckled.

Lucy's eyes flashed opened and she bolted upright. Almost instantly, there was a stabbing pain in her sides and she sunk back down. She'd expected her hands and ankles to be tied up, but when she opened her eyes, she realized she was in a small, wooden-walled room.

Her brown orbs darted around. To the right, there was a small kitchen, with small wood cupboards attached to the wall and a counter. On it were some fresh fruits and a large knife. In another corner of the room, there were two poufy chairs and a sofa set around a small round table with a vase full of flowers in it. there was a door, to go outside, Lucy assumed, and an empty doorway, where she supposed the bedroom was. The whole house smelled good, like soup was cooking. She eyed the pan on the stove and guessed that was where it was coming from.

"Hey, you're awake." The bandit almost jumped out of her skin, but she looked to her right, where there was a silver-haired woman sitting there.

She woman had long, silvery hair, not old silvery, but kind of white with lots of sheen to it. She wore a kind smile, and when she opened her eyes, Lucy saw that the woman had kind, sky-blue orbs. The lady was slightly tall, and wore a pink dress with a bow around the neck.

"My my, you don't need to act so scared." The woman told her. "My name's MiraJane Strauss, but you can call me Mira."

No matter how nice this woman was, Lucy couldn't contain the urge to bolt. "I'm sorry," the bandit said, voice husky and dry. "I really have to go." She kicked off the blanket and got up, only to succumb to a dizzy spell again. She held her head, but Mira pushed her back down before she fell.

"You took quite the injury, didn't you? You've been asleep for two days since we found you." The older woman told her, looking at her covered stomach. Lucy now noticed that she was wearing a new shirt and pants; the old ones she had stolen were gone.

"These are yours, I presume?" Mira asked, knowing what she was thinking, holding up her black body suit and cloak. "You're a thief, correct?" Lucy froze, not caring if she tripped again but knowing the authorities would be here at any moment to catch her. Mira shook her head, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Just a question, but your movements told me the answer. You were the bandit who stole Lisanna's shirt and pants, weren't you?" Lucy nodded slowly, expecting the woman named Mira to lash out at her, maybe press a finger into her wound for pleasure as Lucy screamed her head off.

"oh, don't worry about it. Those were old anyways," Mira waved her off. The bandit stared at her, bewildered. "so what were you doing in the Dragneel castle?" she asked. The question didn't at all seem demanding, simply a question.

Lucy shook her head. "Where am I?" she rasped.

The silver-haired woman noticed her voice sounded dry. "Here, I'll get you a glass of water," she said, shaking off Lucy's protests, going to the kitchen. "To answer your question, a house in the middle of nowhere. It's almost in the center of Magnolia's Western forest." She said. "Walk an hour to the left, you'll find Magnolia, and to the right, Dragneel castle."

Mira returned with a glass of water. Despite herself, Lucy took the crystal cup and drank greedily. Mira chuckled. "so, my siblings should be here soon, so we'll have supper, okay?" Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but Mira pressed a finger to her lips, surprising her and making her fall back a bit.

"Look, if you really don't want to be here, leave when we're all sleeping. Any time before that, I won't have it. you are staying here to eat." Something deep in Mira's eyes flashed dangerously, and Lucy gulped. Something told her she didn't want to mess with this lady.

"Yes, ma'am." She muttered. Mira smiled once again, and got up to finish dinner.

A few minutes later, someone outside opened the door, letting in a burst of fresh air. Lucy and Mira looked up as the two newcomers came in.

"We're back!" a girl said. She looked a lot like Mira, except with shorter, curving inwards silver hair. She had blue eyes, just like her sister, and was dainty and smooth-skinned, a little more on the paler side.

"Picking berries for our older sister's yummy blueberry pie is Man!" _What? _Lucy thought. _that made no sense at all..._ the other figure was huge, a darker-skinned man with the same silver hair as the other two. It was spiky, and this man had really, really big muscles, the shirt he was wearing doing nothing to hide them. he towered over the girls, holding a large basket in his hand, filled to the top with dark sky-coloured berries.

"Welcome home!" Mira said, giving the figures her signature smile. She turned to Lucy.

"This is Lisanna and Elfman," _Elfman my ass! _Lucy thought. He was in no way elf-ish. But she didn't respond and only replied with a wave.

"This is..." Mira blinked. "Hey, I didn't get your name."

"It's, uh, S-Spirit." For some reason, she was about to say _Lucy_. Something was just so kind about these strangers made her want to say the truth. "Spirit."

"Nice to meet you Spirit!" the girl named Lisanna said, walking up to her and shaking her hand.

"Yeah, uh, Lisanna. I'm sorry about your clothes." Lucy said, a bit bewildered.

"Oh, don't worry about those, they were old anyways." Elfman walked up behind her.

"It's Manly to greet someone you just met, so it's nice to meet you," Lucy blinked, but nodded. _It's manly to greet someone you just met..? _Lisanna keyed in on her confusion.

"Oh, don't mind Elfman. He just talks about Manliness... often. Some of the things he says don't make sense, but you get used to it." Lucy nodded slowly.

"Supper time!" Mira called. Elfman moved to the counter, where, on the other side, there was four, bar stools set up.

Lisanna smiled. "Would you like help getting to the table?" she asked. Lucy shook her head, already getting up.

"Oh help her. Spirit's stubborn." Mira interrupted from the counter when the girl stumbled. Lucy smiled sheepishly at Lisanna and the silver-haired girl helped Lucy grab onto her arm for support.

They all sat down, Lisanna to her left and an empty chair for Mira on the right, and the female chef placed four bowls of nice, steaming hot soup in front of them. Mira fixed some things up for a minute, popping a pan into the oven, and then joined them, sitting next to Lucy.

The family started eating, but Lucy stared skeptically at her bowl. _It could be poisoned... _But when she saw the others eating, she relaxed. Besides, the _smell _of it was too good to resist. The bandit took her spoon and dived in, blowing on the spoon for a moment before taking whatever was in her utensil into her mouth.

"Mmm... this is really good Mira!" Lucy almost moaned at the deliciousness of it. she quickly took another bite, and another, and another, before her bowl was finished. The blonde looked to see that Elfman had finished the same time as her, and Lisanna wasn't too far behind. Mira was eating a bit slower.

"Thank you," Mira said gratefully after swallowing. "Lots of people say I'm a good cook."

"Well they're right!" Lucy said, smiling.

"Would anyone like seconds?"

"Yes please!" Elfman, Lisanna, and Spirit said at the same time. Mira filled their bowls, and the three chowed down again.

"Just remember, save some room for dessert."

Lucy had never felt so full in her life.

Three bowls of hot soup, two slices of pie later, Lucy sat back in her bed, feeling so completely and utterly full. She lay back, checking her stomach wound one last time. She was sure that she would explode any minute now.

Her wound was wrapped up expertly, and it had been changed recently before she woke up. there were no red speckles on it at all. She felt sore when she bent too much, but otherwise it was fine.

"So, what's up?" Lisanna asked, walking into the room. Lucy quickly pulled the shirt back down and looked up at her.

"I'm fine." Lisanna crept closer and lifted her shirt again, checking the wound. Lucy was slightly startled, but then the silver-haired girl dropped the cloth.

"That wound's getting better. All you need to do is recuperate and you should be able to move and do Magic again."

"How do you know I use Magic?" Lucy asked suspiciously. Lisanna chuckled and lifted her shirt again, pointing to her belt with Lucy's Key's on it. The bandit 'oh'-ed.

"Good point." Spirit mumbled. Lisanna grinned.

"I'm a mage too, just like you." Lucy looked up in surprise.

"Really?" Lucy scolded herself for sounding too much like an exited puppy. "What Magic do you use?" Lisanna stood up, getting off the bed.

"You wanna see?" Suddenly, Lisanna's body glowed, it lasted for a split second and Lucy looked up as the golden glow faded.

"Woah, that's so cool!" the silver-haired girl had turned into a bird! The bird was mainly green, but its neck was a lighter shade and its feather tips were pink. On its head was a blue bow. Lisanna showed off herself, turning around so Lucy could see. After, she poofed back to herself.

"My Magic's called Animal Take Over. I use animal bodies to attack." She explained. "What about you? Don't use your Magic, it'll tire you out in this state, just explain."

Lucy supposed it wouldn't hurt to just tell her. "Well, these things are called Gate Keys," Lucy said, holding up her key ring. "And with them I can summon Spirit's from the Spirit World."

"Ohh... Is that why you're name's Spirit?" Lisanna asked.

Lucy thought for a split second. "Well, sort of." Just then, Mira's head poked through the door.

"There you are Lisanna. It's getting late, you two should head to bed." The lady said. Lisanna smiled at Lucy one last time before leaving for their bedroom.

Lucy got settled in, and she heard a 'Goodnight,' called from multiple voices in the other room.

"Goodnight!" she replied, cuddling closer to her pillow. Her eyes were opened though, watching and waiting outside for the Strauss siblings to go to sleep.

It was midnight, and Lucy's eyes were still wide open. The door called to her, the moonlight shining through the windows proving that it was indeed her territory. Night was her thing. She was a thief, after all, and the best thieves used the cover of darkness to their advantage. Lucy was called Spirit because she could disappear like one, after all.

The bandit let out a breath, got up [against her protesting sides,] and proceeded to change into her one-suit. It was clean, there were no wrinkles, even the tiny gashes in the fabric had been sewn up, and Lucy [almost,] smiled at the kind Strauss family.

She got into her suit, changing from the bright white shirt and pants she was wearing and into her dark one-piece. She zipped it up, wincing at the loud _zip _it made while traveling up to her neck, replacing her belt over it and tucking her vial necklace in.

Lucy sighed once she was in the comfy material and looked at the door. She had everything, but why didn't she want to leave? For a split second, she glanced at the bedroom, answering her question.

It felt like she had a family. Sure she had Michelle, but she always had to take the motherly roll. Lucy was too independent, too mature, even for seventeen years old. She had seen and had been through things that no woman her age should see or do. She wanted to be a child again. Taken care fore; the good old days when Layla was still alive and Jude was a cheery man. Before she became Spirit.

At the thought of it, her lip trembled. Lucy blinked away tears that threatened to come and slowly, without knowing it, she moved back to the bed. She tucked herself in and took a pillow in her arms, wrapping herself around it.

Lucy wasn't invincible; it was moments like these that her cold shell broke down, and you could see her soft interior.

* * *

**Just in case you didn't read the A/N last chappy, i'll say it quickly: I AM NOW ACEPTING FAIRY TAIL ART AND ONE-SHOT REQUESTS! [the coverpage for this story is my work!] **

**It's late, no time for editing, so sorry if there's any typos. Reply! **

**Tawny: well, here you go! I will! thanks for the art compliment!**


	12. Not me! You!

"Spirrrrittttt... Yo, Spirit... wakey-wakey..." Lucy slowly woke up from the smell of something good cooking in the air. She smiled and propped herself up on her elbows, looking up at the slightly blurry figure of Lisanna. The bandit rubbed her eyes.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Lisanna greeted.

"'Morning."

"So, you decided to stay?" Mira asked from the kitchen. "We noticed you changed into your bodysuit last night." Lucy flushed a little.

"Uh... if you don't mind... me staying." Lucy said, ducking her head. She would stay from a bit, and then go back for Michelle, she'd decided. This was the closest place to the Dragneel castle she could remain in.

Almost like reading her thoughts, Mira said, "Not at all. So, if you're staying here, may I ask what you were doing at the Dragneel castle three days ago?"

The blonde ducked her head. "How did you know I was at the Dragneel castle?" she asked slowly.

Lisanna smiled. "We found your outfit and cloak when we were picking berries. See, our berry orchard is closer to the Magnolia side of the forest, but to pick them we usually use our Take-Overs to help. In my Tigress Form, I smelled that there was another person there, but we only found your clothes. A few days later, we found you in my clothes, wounded in the mud. There was the smell of your blood trailing from there. You scaled the wall, where I believe the Gardens would be around. So, were you trying to steal from the castle?"

Lucy bit her lip, then shook her head. "It's a long, kinda confusing story, but my little sister's in there. Prince Dragneel broke me out, I left, then found out there was another Spirit in my cell. I distracted the guards, went back down, and found out that Other Spirit was Michelle using Transformation Magic. She's staying there to make sure the guards won't chase after me. So to get her out, I had to steal the keys to her cell. I went back to the forest, dyed my hair red," she showed by rubbing off the already crumbling red juice on her hair, showing off the blonde, "went back, fought the Ice Mage guard, Gray, but ended up losing because I couldn't use my Keys." She explained.

Lisanna, Mira, and Elfman stopped what they were all doing to turn and stare at her. "That's a pretty... wild story." Mira finally said.

"Uh... Mira?" Lucy flushed, pointing behind her. "Breakfast is smoking." The woman turned around, startled, and took the pan off quickly.

"I guess the bacon is going to be a little... burnt." She supposed. "Well, whatever. So, why did the Prince break you out?"

Lucy sighed. "Well, me and Natsu kinda met before, it was a long time ago, and he didn't remember. My mother was dying of Pneumonia and we heard that the Dragneel's had a cure for it. Natsu eventually opened the door, like ten minutes after banging on it. They gave us the serum, and we went back home, only to find out that my mother died a few minutes before we got there." Lucy brought out the green vial.

"This is the stuff my mother was gonna be saved with ten years ago, and Natsu finally remembered and broke me out to... repay." And then, for some reason he decided to extend that repayment because of Michelle, so he tried to warn me off, and I didn't take his advice and now I'm here, she silently finished.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. "Hello? Strauss family? Lucy- I mean, Spirit?" the three siblings turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. Lucy was in a slight panic. She recognized that voice. She shook her head, hard, telling them _not to open the door_.

"I know you're in there..." the pink-haired man muttered, almost like reading her mind, moving to the window with his blue horse. The first thing he saw was Lucy, glaring at him through the glass, arms folded across her chest. If looks could kill, Natsu would be dead right now.

"Hello, may I come in?" The prince asked, looking over at Mira.

"Elfman, could you open the door for the prince already?" she asked.

"Opening doors for newcomers is Man!" he cried, unlocking the lock and opening the door. Lucy winced as Natsu stepped through, leaving the door open for Happy's head to poke in.

"Hey Elfman!" Natsu brofisted him, turning to the girls. "Hello Mira, Lisanna."

Finally, he turned to Lucy. "Hey Lu- Spirit." The blonde didn't say anything to him, just glared with the steeliest look she could give.

"So, how's your injury?" he asked, sending a glance behind him to ask if it was okay to get closer to her. Mira nodded, but Lucy noted there was a sharp gleam in her eyes. Lisanna had it too, but not so much Elfman.

Natsu moved next to the Celestial Spirit mage, inspecting her. "I'm fine," she snapped, moving the blanket closer up her body. "No thanks to you."

"Aye!" Happy the blue horse said. Natsu sent a split-second glare at him.

Other than that, he seemed unfazed. "Just so you know, the only reason I'm here is because Michelle gives a mighty hard whack," he told her, rubbing his head and wincing. "This is the first headache I've had in years." Lucy smirked, proud of her little sister.

"Well, anyways, I've come just to check you're not dead. And to see my favourite Strauss family." He added, sending a glance behind him. The siblings smiled back.

"Aye!" Happy piped up. Mira reached under the counter, and from practically nowhere, got a fish [a slimy, scaly, gross-to-touch fish, Lucy added,] and brought it up to the horse. He chowed happily, taking it in his mouth. The head and tail stuck out a little bit.

"So, would you like to join us for breakfast, Prince Dragneel? It's ready right now," Mira asked, reaching into a cupboard for a plate. Lucy winced.

"Sure. I don't have anything to do right now." The bandit silently growled, irritated.

Everyone got to the table, and Lucy stood up on shaky legs. Lisanna stood up at the same time Natsu did to help her. Natsu, who was closer, walked over to the girl and extended his arm for support. She snarled at him and continued walking, but almost tripped and fell.

Almost. The prince caught her at the last second, helping her up on her feet. She blinked in response, _that _was the best he was going to get, and sat down quickly, huffing. The Strauss family watched amusedly, already sitting down.

The breakfast consisted of bacon and eggs, but Lucy ate much slower than she did yesterday night. She noticed, with faint surprise, that Mira had lit Natsu's food on fire, but didn't question it. Keeping her head low, she watched Natsu chat with the silver-haired mages while quietly eating her own food.

It seemed like Lisanna and Natsu talked often, sending each other glances while talking to the others. Lucy noted that their gazes were a _little longer_ than _just looks_.

Also, despite the prince talking so much, he still managed to eat his fiery breakfast faster than anyone at the table could and keep his mouth shut while chewing.

Lucy huffed out of her nose, rolled her eyes, and continued eating.

* * *

Lisanna helped clean the dishes, [even after Lucy offered helping,] and soon, Lucy was back in the bed again. She pretended to sleep, facing the wall so that nobody could see her annoyed expression.

"So, I'll see you guys again sometime?" Natsu asked.

"Yep. Come back any time you want," Lisanna said.

"Okay! See you guys again!" he said. "Oh, and Spirit, nice try with the fake sleeping." Lucy, already prepared, flipped around and chucked her new boot [from Virgo,] at his face. He yelped and ducked, the sole missing his hair by a few inches.

"Yeah, still your boot-throwing self... bye!" He left. Lucy continued glaring at the closed door, expecting him to come in, most likely forgetting something. Two minutes later, she gave up and the door, oh-so-conveniently, opened again. She growled into the pillows. Lisanna watched her with a small smile on her face.

"Whoops. I forgot my cape." Natsu grinned sheepishly and grabbed the cloak hanging on the coat-hanger. He left, once again.

Lisanna and Mira sat next to her, identical grins on their faces. "you know," they said simultaneously, "you two go together pretty well. You guys argue like a married couple." Lucy got up and shoved a pillow into their faces. They laughed it off, which annoyed the Celestial Spirit mage even more.

"I do not!" Lucy protested.

"Yes you do," they sang.

"Do not!"

"Do to."

"I do not like Natsu Dragneel! In fact, it seems like Natsu has a crush on _Lisanna_, if anything!"

Mira and Lisanna looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Natsu Dragneel... a crush... on me?" Lisanna fell back, accidently falling off the bed. Mira looked concerned, but she was laughing too hard to help her up.

The two Take-Over mages finally laughed it off. Lisanna wiped tears from her eyes. "We've been friends since, like, forever, but he only looks at me like a little sister." She said.

Lucy gave her a doubtful look. "He clearly likes you. Not me, you." She told the silver-haired girl. Lisanna giggled.

"O-kay... if you think so," she said in a sing-song voice, getting up. Lucy glared at her, but she couldn't help a smile grace her lips. She liked it here.

"He totally likes you, Lisanna!"

"Right, if Spirit says so, it must be right. Natsu Dragneel likes me... and not you."

"Yes! Stop being sarcastic!"

"What sarcasm?"

"He likes you! Not me, you!"

"O-kay..!"

"Grrr..."

* * *

Lucy stayed there for many days, waiting for the wound to heal while helping the Strauss siblings out around their home. She did miniscule tasks, but she enjoyed helping out. She went berry picking with Lisanna and Elfman, using her Spirits to help out, did dishes, cleaned, anything she could do without straining herself too much.

She became close friends with Lisanna, they talked often about everything, about their lives, their Magics, the hottest Royalties [Lisanna tried to get Spirit to see how Natsu was; even she had to admit, pretty cute. Lucy quickly declined.], even small things like the weather. Lucy began to enjoy herself, but didn't forget the real reason why she was here.

* * *

"We're home!" Lisanna cried, Elfman behind her. Mira and Lucy looked up at the partially wet figures. It had just started to rain outside, so Mira rushed her siblings closer to the warm fire to dry off. Lisanna and Elfman had left for Magnolia to give new berries to the merchant's shops; the Strauss family sold their fresh, all natural berries to the market for money.

Lucy and Mira were doing dishes; Mira cleaned while Lucy dried, and they were almost done. Finally, after the last dish, Lucy dried her hands and handed the cloth to Mira.

"Hey Lisanna." Lucy greeted, but quickly recoiled. The girl had shoved something in her face, extremely excited. It was a red, slightly rain-dappled piece of paper, but for the most part it was dry.

"Look at this! We can get your sister back!"

Lucy stared at the piece of paper, but couldn't make sense of the letters because they were so close. She tugged it away from Lisanna's grip.

The Stellar Spirit mage read. "The Dragneel Kingdom is happy to announce that Prince Natsu Dragneel shall choose a bride to be at the Dragneel Castle's Bride-to-be ball. Ten of the best brides shall be chosen for the chance to be the Dragneel's future Queen..?" at the bottom, there was a dozen tinier letters which Lucy didn't care about. On it was a picture of the pink-haired prince, looking way too formal for it to be actually him. Lucy scoffed.

"I am not entering to be Natsu's future wife." Lucy instantly protested. Lisanna shook her head.

"I know that. But you just have to enter the competition, slip in, grab Michelle, and slip out!" Lisanna cried, flinging her hands out. The blonde _supposed_ it was a good idea.

"But the security will be doubled, no, tripled. Even if I dye my hair brown or even _blue_, someone will recognize me." Lucy complained.

Lisanna shook her head. "And that's what we're here for!" she grinned, and now Lucy was very confused.

"I don't get it. _You're_ gonna enter the competition for _me_?"

"Well, yes, but... no. Yes, I will enter the competition with you, but no. Don't you remember, we are a family of Transformation Mages? We'll teach you how to us Transformation Magic!" **[A/N see authors note at bottom.] **

Lucy still seemed skeptical. "I can learn Transformation Magic?"

Lisanna grinned. "Yeah! It might be a bit harder because you're a Holder-type mage, but we still have four days to practice!"

Lucy finally nodded. The security would all be focusing on the girls, nobody would recognize her, and she had backup if need be. "Let's get training!"

* * *

**So, for you all that don't get the Transformation Magic, Lucy learning it and all, at one point, Lucy does try and learn that Magic. In the manga, named ****Mira-sensei's transforming Magic Class****. Unfortunately for Lucy, it doesn't go too well when Natsu transforms into her. I laughed so hard. Oh, the Coco-cola one was funny too. Natsu and Happy's reactions! Priceless! **

**Ok, I'll stop my epic rant of the manga and get on with stuff. **

**MarieGene1990: yeah, I thought about that too, but two reasons I didn't do that. 1] I think I've been using too much Gemini. 2] cause usually, when they come out, they're in their normal, Twins form, not the person, and Lucy had to bring out her Key to use them. So, I canceled that idea. Thank you for reviewing! **

**MythandFairyTaillover: "omg, she's bleeding! panic mode!" *crashes into a wall, falls unconscious* "...Thank... you..." **

**GoldenRoseTanya: yeah, I'm on a rolllll! *music started playing* "They see me rollin', they hatin'!" **

**Tawny: "Yay! I'm epic!" thank you so much for reviewing! :3**

* * *

_**IMPORTANT! SOOOOOOO, we're at 75 reviews, and we're still going! I love you all, really, and I've decided to make a contest! The 100th reviewee will get to give me an idea, and I WILL TYPE IT up, giving them lots of credit AND! a little special something for later in this story! all yours, if you're the 100th reviewer! **_

**Review? [Cookies for everyone!]**


	13. My deepest apologies SPECIAL!

**WARNING: SHORT, FUNNY CHAPTER AHEAD! **

"Wait..." Lucy suddenly remembered something, scanning the piece of paper quickly. "What about a dress? It says you must be in a dress to be in the ball. I only have my bodysuit."

Everybody thought for a moment, but Mira was the one who spoke. "Here's your fairy godmother!" She cried cheerily, going into the living room section. Elfman looked at her skeptically.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Oh yes Elfman, I'm quite sure. They'll look quite good in them and I trust Lisanna and Spirit to take good care of them," she said, bending down and tapping the wall. To the youngest girls surprise, a square appeared in the wood and opened up a secret section of the house. It was a small, dark chamber, and in it were bundles of... Lucy couldn't make them out.

Elfman helped his sister pull the things out. Lucy looked at the giant bundles of cloth in their arms, and Mira held them up. The silver-haired and blonde's eyes widened.

"Pretty!" they exclaimed.

In Mira's hands were two lovely dresses, one a velvety red and the other a midnight black.

The strapless first one, the red one, was made of what looked like red velvet. It went a little lower than the wearer's knees, the skirt having two layers and the ends frilled a bit. Around the waist was a large white ribbon, tied in a bow on the side. It was a very cute but elegant dress.

The other dress was mostly black, even shorter than the first. It almost had the appearance of a shirt and skirt that reached only barely to her knees. The outfit was black and blue, the sky-colour making a cute little butterfly design, lining the short sleeves and horizontal neckline. The skirt was pleated, butterflies moving across it.

"So, what do you think?" Mira asked, handing the red to Lisanna and the black to Lucy. "they're not too long, so you could outrun the guards if need be, and I think they would look stunning on you!" she smiled, hauling the two on their feet and pushing them to the bedroom. [Lucy had learned that despite her dainty looks, Mira was anything but weak.]

Lisanna and Lucy went into the bathroom, and Lucy continued walking to the bathroom. It was small but clean, so the bandit slipped out of her bodysuit and into the dress, staring at the mirror. She didn't look bad, if she said so herself. She spun around in front of the mirror, checking herself out.

Lucy knocked on the door. "Hey Li-chan, you done?"

"Yeah!"

Lucy opened the door, and the girls simultaneously gasped, looking at each other.

"You look great!"

"Thanks, but you! Seriously, you look really good in that!"

Both girls blushed, and Mira clapped. "I'm so happy for you two!" she exclaimed. "You'll go, wearing these!"

Lucy turned red at her words. "Are you sure..? I mean, something might happen to them."

The woman shook her head. "No, Lisanna's is an old dress of mine and yours is our mothers." Lucy remembered Lisanna explaining that their parents had died in an accident. She looked down.

"Are you—"

"Yes, yes! Spirit, I'm not gonna use them anymore!" Mira tutted, shaking her head. Even though Lucy was a bandit, simply asking for things was embarrassing for her. Spirit gave up protesting and looked at herself one last time.

* * *

Back at the castle, everyone was freaking out. Natsu was sick of it.

He had gotten six new outfits to try, he was rushed all around the castle, and everyone was preparing for his oh-so Big Day that he didn't even _want_ happening. Of course, this meant Grandine and Igneel keeping a special eye on him, since Wendy was too sad about losing her new playmate.

No, she had not found Michelle.

"Okay, okay, it doesn't need to fit perFECTLY!" the ending of his sentence ended up high-pitched, because the tailor had tugged a string too tight and it was squeezing his insides out. The tailor sent him an apologetic glance and loosened the strings.

"Sorry, Prince Dragneel." The man said, looking down at the pants the pink-haired man was wearing. This design Igneel and Grandine had finally chosen, and now Natsu had to _sit still_ and be tugged and pulled on while the tailor did his work. The Lord of the castle had threatened if he burned this outfit, even in the slightest, he would take away his fire-food for _a year_.

A whole freakin year.

So, Natsu had to hold still while the tailor poked and prodded him, resisting to growl as he was tugged one way again.

"Sorry, Prince Dragneel," the tailor said, continuing his work. Natsu rolled his eyes. It was the only thing this man had said so far, other than his name, which was long ago and Natsu could no longer remember. Plus, he was getting hungry. His stomach growled, almost on cue.

"Are we almost done?" he asked.

"Only a few more hours, Prince Dragneel. My deepest apologies."

The pink-haired prince groaned.

* * *

"Okay, so, to use Transformation Magic, you have to store energy, and think hard about the person you want to be. Then release the stored Magic. At first, you won't be able to change clothing, only form, but soon, you could be able to change into animals and gain abilities depending on the form you take. Mira explained.

Lucy watched interestingly as the silver-haired mage poofed out of view, turning into Natsu in the cook's dress. Lisanna and Lucy laughed, and then Mira turned into the pink-haired man in his own vest. The youngest silver-haired Take-Over mage giggled at the bandit's wrinkled nose.

Lisanna had decided to join for a refresh, and to help her friend out. Both were sitting on the floor, watching Mira turn into a bizarre change of animals. Prince Natsu included.

"Could you go back to him in a dress?" Spirit raised her hand and asked.

Mira cracked a smile, but continued. "Okay, first, Spirit, you'll take the form of Lisanna. It's usually easier to change into people you know best first." Natsu/Mira explained to the two.

Both students stood up, facing each other. "First, take in the details of Lisanna. Focus on lines, marks, angles, or just to begin with, general details." The Stellar Spirit mage tried to ignore the fact she was being trained by what looked like Prince Dragneel.

Lucy looked at Lisanna, and the girl smiled back. The bandit looked around with narrowed eyes.

"I think I got it." _Silver hair, blue eyes, pale skin._

"Now, focus the energy into a single point, hold it in while thinking of who you want to be, and then, release!" Prince Dragneel cried, very out of character, throwing his hands in the air.

"Could you change back to your normal form? That kinda gets... irritating. I can't stop wanting to punch you in the face."

Natsu rolled his eyes, letting out a huff of flame. "Like you could kick my ass, Lucy." The girl shivered at the accuracy of it, and then she realized it.

"How'd you know my name's really Lucy?" she asked.

"The day he came in eating breakfast? He kept calling you Lucy, but then replaced it with Spirit." Lisanna pointed out. Lucy oh-ed, then ducked her head from embarrassment.

"Sorry for not telling you my real name. It's just the name I use for bandit stuff." Lisanna waved it off.

"Whatever. Name shmame. Who cares?"

Lucy smiled, cheeks turning red. "Okay, you guys can call me whatever you want. Let's get back to training."

* * *

Back at the castle, Natsu sneezed.

"Someone must be talking about me," he muttered, looking around.

"Please do not move, Prince Dragneel. Sorry."

Once again, he groaned.

* * *

After the sixth try, Lucy had finally changed.

"Err... not quite." Mira swallowed. "you're still missing... some things." In the background, Lisanna giggled.

Lucy had silver hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Other than that, her features didn't change. She looked like a silver-haired, blue eyed, really pale Celestial Spirit mage bandit.

The previous blonde looked in the mirror and smirked. "Hello Prince Natsu. I'm Lisanna, your childhood friend." Lucy did a fancy hand wave, eye brow raised, lips pressed together, and Mira and Lisanna burst into giggles.

* * *

**I only noticed after I edited it, but the tailor is ****_not Aries_****. The 'Sorry's are similar and I didn't give a description, [too lazy.] BUT THIS IS NOT ARIES. This was honestly the shortest chapter I've written so far. Honestly kinda pointless, just for laughs. Meh, whatever! We're getting into the fun stuff soon, so be prepared!**

**So, I need some ****Females for this story****. I have decided to let you readers choose! There is a poll on my page, but you can just ****put the name in the review box**** if you want. I need Females! [no OCs, sorry.] **

**I'm thinking I need a nice girl, a cute girl, a *blank* girl, a b**chy [pardon my language,] girl, and someone to come along with the b**ch. To all you younger readers, I wrote beach. A beach girl. **

**Axlorg89: *hands cookie* hmhmhm! Just wait and see!  
Aitanna: *hands cookie* I totally will!  
MythandFairyTailLover: *hands cookie* yeah. you're still your awesome reviewing self. it's great to hear you laughed! I love making readers laugh.  
Sofia: *hands-* "crap, we ran outta cookies!* *Happy comes in* "would you like a fish?" you will see them soon! trust me! **

**Remember, 100th reviewer gets a special prize! only 20 left to go!**


	14. Let the Ball begin!

Today was Natsu's big da—

"Moooommmm... d-do I have to do this?"

"Yes," Grandine snapped, looking over at her well-dressed son. Natsu was wearing a bluish-gray long shirt, with red details on the side and edges. His loose pants were tucked into his new, polished leather brown boots, and his wore a plain, simple brown belt around his waist. **[Look at profile pic to see the outfit.]** He looked quite hot, [in both ways,] trying to sweat it out and not barf on his clothes.

"Why do we have to take a carriage back to our own castle?" he moaned.

"Natsu! You barf on your clothes or mine we'll take away your fire-food for a month!" The Queen barked. The Fire Dragon Slayer was the only one who got motion sickness in their family. Both the Queen and the Princess were healing mages, and Igneel did not suffer from motion sickness as much as Natsu did.

"And did we _have_ to invite our cousins?" Natsu groaned. He just couldn't _wait_ to see them... that wasn't true. Honestly, he would put them on the other side of the planet if he could.

"Yes. It's their ceremony too. I'm so happy for them! We'll get to see Metalicana again! I haven't seen him or his sons in such a long tim—" The prince tuned her out, focusing on not barfing for the sake of his fire-food.

The carriage stopped, and almost instantly, Natsu jumped up. "Manners, Natsu, nice and slow." Even though he wanted to jump of the hell carriage as soon as possible, he opened the door and walked out, holding it open for his mother and extending his arm so it would be easier for her to climb down. His fire-food depended on it.

A sea of girls and soldiers made a path for the two to walk. The royalties looked forwards, not paying attention to anyone, but Natsu noted that everyone was in a fancy dress with their hair done or such. He swallowed when he saw a guy in the crowd, but something caught on his nose for a split second. It was familiar, and Natsu turned his head towards the smell.

For a moment, he was surprised. Lisanna? It was her, wearing a nice red dress and waving to him, seemingly with another girl, but his head snapped forwards when his mother squeezed his arm. He moved his hand to indicate he saw her though.

The two disappeared into the hall.

* * *

"Lucy, are you almost ready?" Lisanna asked. Lucy looked at the drawing one last time before focusing.

_Poof! _

The bandit looked in the mirror, checking everything was okay. She looked unrecognizable; she would never guess it was herself. "Coming!" she called, getting out of the bathroom.

Lisanna blinked. "Man, that's weird, seeing you like that. But you look really nice!" she commented. Spirit's new figure was a cute brunette with deep blue eyes and a dainty figure. She wore the dress Mira offered, since she couldn't change clothing with Magic yet. But, it didn't matter, as long as she got in and out of the ball with Michelle and Lisanna.

Mira stepped into the room once the two were done. "you two look great." She said. "now, you'll just have to walk a bit until you get to the castle." Their 'fairy godmother' told them. "Lisanna, you should stay in your Tigress form so you don't mess up your outfit. That way you can change back as soon as you get there. Lucy..."

"I'll use Horologium. He's one of my Spirits." The bandit told her.

Mira clapped. "Just remember, Lucy's name is now Lyra, it's close enough to her name that you should respond to it."

"Now go! Off to the ball!" Lucy and Lisanna walked out of the house, stopping where the grass met the bushes. Lisanna glowed gold and Lucy summoned her Clock Spirit. The bandit was just about to move inside, but Lisanna stopped her.

For a moment, the two girls stared at each other, but Lisanna moved around, now in her Tigress form, sniffing furiously. "that's not good," she muttered, still breathing in furiously using her nose.

"What?" Lucy say, lifting up her arms in surprise.

"You still smell like Lucy. You're not strong enough yet to copy scents. The Dragneel's, or at least Natsu, will likely notice you."

The Celestial Spirit mage rolled her eyes. "I'm not going there for too long, just slipping in, slipping out, Lisanna. I'll be nowhere close to them." Lisanna looked skeptical, but nodded, and Lucy stepped inside Horologium.

They pushed past the bushes, and started walking.

* * *

Prince Natsu sat at the head of the table, waiting impatiently for something to happen. His sister and Igneel sat next to him, and Grandine next to the King on the right side. The girls [and one guy,] had started filling in, squeezing into long table benches set up in the Grand Hall.

Natsu found himself searching for a flash of velvety red in the sea of dresses, and eventually, she found her. Lisanna, with that same girl she was with before. They were talking earnestly to each other, but the unnamed girl looked up and caught his gaze.

He broke the split-second connection between them, looking away quickly. She was pretty, sure, but something felt... off about her. Not right, and it made the hairs on his neck stand up.

Wendy wasn't talking to him, but there were three empty seats next to him and one next to his parents. He gulped, and just at that moment, four more figures joined the table, One moving beside his parents and the others sitting next to the Prince, and Natsu tried not to grimace. He looked over at the newcomers. "Good day, Metalicana. Gajeel, Rogue, Sting."

The largest man, a big, bulky male in his forties, had wild, spiky black hair and crimson red eyes. His features were sharp, metal studs lining his arms, eyebrows, and nose. The man named Metalicana Redfox looked over across his children at Natsu and grinned. "Ey' Natsu!"

Whenever around this man, Natsu had to resist the urge to sweatdrop. His children, on the other hand, did just that.

The man at the far end of the table was a boy almost as gruff and bulky as his father was, with the same wild, black messy hair. He was younger than the man, about in his early twenties, and his name was Gajeel. Gajeel wore a black outfit with studs on it.

Beside that was another raven-haired male, except he had shorter, smooth locks. He had a disinterested look in his eyes, yet Natsu knew he always seemed to catch everything. Usually, he wore a black cloak over his shoulders, but today he took it off, showing off his black outfit. Rogue.

The third child wasn't actually Metalicana's, but when Sting's parents died he offered to take care of him. Sting, previously Eucliffe, was bleach blonde, with a three centimeter crystal hanging from his ear. He had blue eyes, unlike his adopted father's red, and he had a tendency to smirk a lot.

Sting, beside Natsu, brofisted him. The two quickly started talking. Natsu liked Sting, especially after [literally,] beating some sense into him after Sting compared the two in a fight with him being the victor. HA! Natsu had exclaimed. One partially destroyed forest and a beaten Sting later, the Dragneel had proved his point. The blonde had mellowed out a bit and had generally accepted that there were better people than him, making him much more enjoyable.

"Hey Natsu! What have you been up to?" the White Dragon Slayer asked, looking over at him.

"Eh, nothing much. Are you happy about this marriage thing?" The pyromaniac asked, sending a glance at all the girls in front of them. Sting shrugged.

"Well, I knew dad would do it eventually—" _Wow, Natsu hadn't thought that far ahead. He'd always imagine rolling solo._ "—I just hope I find a good Mate at the end of this."

"Y... Yeah." Natsu frowned, staring back unfocused at the sea of girls. At least, there had to be several hundred. His eyes found him back on Lisanna and the new girl, but this time Lisanna caught his look. She winked and raised a thumb, but Natsu was completely interrupted by his Father.

His voice didn't need a lacyrima announcer, **[?]** it was already as loud as it needed to get the girls attention. Everyone quieted and looked at the man standing up at the front.

"Hello! As you all should know, this is the Dragneel Redfox's Ball, where our Princes will choose girls to later be their brides. As soon as we leave, we would like everyone to get up and form a nice, straight line, and as it is your turn, go down the route with the boy you want to be with. No bickering or cutting in line because we will have you forcefully removed. Okay, got it?" It sounded like Igneel was talking to a bunch of children, but the girls nodded.

The boys followed their parents to the hall where Igneel had pointed to. Natsu knew where it led. It was a lesser-used passageway that split off into four corridors. The dragons stopped at the fork, and Natsu noticed that a sign was put above each entrance. Natsu Dragneel, Sting Eucliffe, Gajeel Redfox, and Rogue Redfox.

"Now, each of you will go down each tunnel with someone to accompany you. Wendy with Sting, Grandine with Rogue, Metalicana with Gajeel, and me with Natsu," Igneel told everyone. "You know what to do."

Actually, no, he didn't, but Igneel pushed him forwards to his hall. They walked down it until they reached a room with two doors. "Look, son, the rules are simple. Girls who want to be married to you will come through this door. You will talk with her for as long as you need to." The eldest Dragneel explained. "if you like her, even in the slightest, tell her to go That Way." He pointed to the door in front of him. "If you don't, then point her This way," he pointed to the door beside him.

"Do you get it?" The father asked. Natsu took a second to memorize it, and then nodded. They sat down on the two chairs in the middle of the room.

"We're ready!" Igneel roared. The sound echoed through the hallway, and was met by two loud 'us too.' Igneel blinked, then strained to listen.

"Is Wendy ready?" he couldn't hear her.

"We're ready too!" He heard Sting cry. Igneel settled back into his chair. He should have expected that his daughter's voice would have been too quiet.

"Let the Games begin!"

* * *

Back in the Grand Hall, Lucy, or pardon, Lyra, and Lisanna were arguing loudly.

"Go down Natsu's route!" The Take-Over mage hissed. "He might recognize you and let you through!"

"No! I am not having even the slightest possibility of me marrying Natsu! I'm going to break Michelle out right now!" Lucy protested.

"But there are four guards at the dungeons, and I bet there are plenty of strong mages that would love to help capture you for a better chance to get married!" the bandit had to admit, she was losing this battle, but wasn't about to give up.

Lucy hissed. "Well, even if he recognizes me, he won't let me through because he and Michelle want me as far away from the castle as possible!"

"well, to have better chances, break her out when there are less peopl—" A guard came up to them, and Lisanna cut herself off.

"Are you getting into line?" Lucy recognized this man as Macao, the guard she tricked before. "We aren't here to look around, I'm sorry, so you either get into line or leave, please." Lisanna looked over at Lucy.

"Thanks." Lucy snapped, before dragging Lisanna into line. Because girls were so close to them, they couldn't argue, but they started a wild hand-waving argument.

Lisanna made hand movements for Natsu. Lucy shook her head, and in return, made a jailbreak sign. The Take-Over mage crossed her arms together, pointed to the hall, and made a two-legged person walk on her hand. The bandit road-blocked it, and the two pressed closer together, little sparks flying around them and two fierce blue and red auras hanging around each other.

"Excuse me?" The red-haired woman in front of them turned around when Lucy accidently bumped into her. "Are you two fighting? I will alert the guards if you two are."

They swallowed, because the fierce demeanor of the woman scared them. "us? Fighting? No, we're besties! We would never fight!" they linked arms with each other, smiling widely.

"Aye!" _When did you become a Happy impersonator? _Lucy muttered mentally. The scarlet-haired woman seemed content and turned around. Lisanna and Lucy started their argument again, stopping every so often when the scary woman turned around.

* * *

**No time for editing or replies, sorry! here's your chapter!**


	15. Lyra and Salmon

_This is going to be easy_.

The raven-haired woman walked down the hallways, hips tilting with every step, smirking. Winning this competition was going to be simple, she thought, turning down Natsu's hallway. _Everyone girl pales in comparison to me. _

The woman had twilight-coloured hair, and she wore a blue and black dress with golden buttons attached to the side. The fabric was of the smoothest velvet, and it was only what the lady would accept. Her hair was done up nicely, but the woman had a cruel smirk on her face that told people she was not to be messed with.

She passed the bend, and there the Prince was, his father sitting behind him. The prince looked quite bored, and not at all handsome to the lady, but looked up as Minerva came in. There was a chair sitting in front of them, but the lady didn't bother sitting. She would be out of there in a flash.

"Hello. My name is Princess Minerva Orland, of the Orland Kingdom." She introduced herself. No sign of recognition passed the pink-haired dolt's face, and Minerva had to resist the urge to snap. She took a deep breath, calming herself.

"I am a mage, I love flowers, and calming music, and freshly cleaned sheets, but..." she chose her words carefully, "dislike people who act immature." The prince, who previously looked bored, perked up at this.

"Okay. You can go that way." He pointed in front of her, to his side. _Oh, I'm so great that he liked me right away!_ His tone sounded like he'd liked her, so Minerva happily opened the door and exited.

She walked for thirty seconds, down a dark hallway again, and her usually pretty features twisted into a snarl. There were about one hundred girls here, all waiting patiently for the prince to announce their love and that Natsu wanted to marry them.

But Minerva knew better. There was another door in the room, and the Prince didn't send her that way. She spun around, snarling, walked back to the door, and tried to twist the knob. To her anger, it was locked from the inside.

Very well.

The raven-haired woman pictured the space where the hall split off into four; she expected the girl next in line to already be walking down it. Using her Magic, in a flash, the lady disappeared from the locked room.

Minerva opened her eyes, and there she was, right where she wanted to be. The blue-haired girl walking down the hall, about to go down Rogue's route, was staring at her wide-eyed, frozen in place. "I-Is this part of the test?" she asked timidly.

Minerva rolled her eyes and raised her arm. "No." The air around the girl seemed to dance, and it wrapped around her body. She squealed, and in a flash, disappeared. The lady sighed, and promptly walked down Stiff Eucliffe's route, already hating the Prince of the Dragneel kingdom for rejecting her.

* * *

The next girl that came down Natsu's route was a long, scarlet-haired woman, who was wearing a long red dress that showed off lots of cleavage. The dress and her hair almost trailed on the ground, and her head was cocked to the side, like she was listening to voices no one else could hear.

Lord Igneel caught the _Crazy Alert_ instantly as the new girl came in. "You can go that way." He pointed beside them, the no route for girls.

Of course, his idiot son stopped him. "We gotta give everyone a chance, dad." He turned back to the girl, but before he could say anything, the girl spoke in a monotonous voice.

"Hello. My name is Flare. I specialize in Hair Magic. You are Salmon and Redhead." Natsu blinked, at a loss for words.

"What?"

"Salmon. Prince Natsu's hair is such a nice shade of salmon." She said, looking at them with dazed red eyes.

"Not... pink?"

The girl blinked [at a relief to Igneel, who had started to be creeped out by the lack of blinking,] "no. Not pink. Pink is brighter. Your hair is Salmon. Lord Igneel had red hair. I have red hair. Prince Natsu had salmon hair." Natsu jumped up and hugged the girl, grinning happily.

"Go that way!" he cried, pointing in front of them. "That way that way that way!" Igneel's eyes bulged out of his head, but it was too late; the girl opened the door and disappeared.

Igneel stood up, and whacked his son's head hard. "What do you think you were doing?" he roared. "That girl was a lunatic!"

Natsu had hearts in his eyes. "Nope. She was anything but a lunatic, dad. She called my hair Salmon... not pink. She is anything but crazy." The elder Dragneel sweatdropped, but hit his son hard over the head again. Natsu collapsed on the floor, a miniature chibi ghost flying out from his mouth.

"Why does my son have to be such an idiot!" Igneel whined.

* * *

The next girl was less crazy than the last.

But not by much.

After Natsu got up, with an amusing almost comical bump on his head, the next girl came in.

"Helllllooooo boys! Feelin' spiffy?" Instantly, Igneel fell back from a nosebleed, twitching on the ground. Natsu remained indifferent, somehow, looking up at the brunette wearing a risky black-leather outfit.

She wore a black swimsuit top lined with pink, and knee-high striped socks, held up with suspenders. Her bottom was printed with a cat paw, and she had a long catty tail coming from the back. Her brown hair was shaped in two cat ears, and her yellow eyes were awfully similar to a feline's.

Igneel picked himself up, holding his nose. His voice came out high and squeaky. "Hi. So tell us a little about yourself."

The girl smiled. "Well, my name's Millianna, and I'm a mage! My streamers can cancel out Magic and bind people as well! Pretty spiffy, right? Well, I come from a far away island, and I really like cats." _You don't say_. "I also love making friends, but I don't like people that are haters towards cats. They're too cute to be hated!" she whined.

Natsu looked at the girl strangely, but Igneel was deep in thought. "Hey, could you go that way for a bit?" he asked, pointing back from where she came.

"Sure!" she walked out.

"Well, do you like her?" he asked. Natsu shrugged.

"She sure is energetic, but I don't see her as... good material." He refrained from saying wife, because it only reminded him of why he was here. Lord Igneel hrmmed.

"Well, that type of Magic could come in handy... and if she isn't a candidate..."

"You can come back in!" he called. Slowly, their Dragon Slayer hearing caught onto her footsteps coming closer.

"Sooooo..? You guys did some talking, anddd?" they opened their mouths to speak, but Millianna cut them off, jumping up and down. "Oh, stop holding it in! Tell me already!" Natsu knew if he had to marry this woman he wouldn't make it a week without going insane.

"Well, Natsu doesn't think you're a... good candidate to be his wife, but I was thinking of offering you a job. Your Magic could be quite handy for it." The elder Dragneel explained.

"Spiffy! What is it?"

"Well, we do need more security and—" Millianna launched herself on him, and Igneel clutched his nose fast. If only his wife were here, she would kill him.

"Sure sure sure! I'll do it! This job sounds Spiffy! You can call me Milli from now on."

So, Igneel hired Millian— just Milli, she reminded him, into his security.

* * *

Lucy and Lisanna were standing in line silently. Their wild hand argument had to stop because they were dangerously close to the dark hallway.

Lucy was three away from it being her turn.

Two.

One.

The guard waited for awhile, and the bandit sent a hesitant glance behind her at Lisanna. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. Anything could be down that hallway, and she could be not prepared for it. She hated not knowing, and she was scared because of the Dragneel family. If they recognized her...

Also, she knew she had more chances of staying in this competition with Natsu, as much as she hated to admit it. She knew the basis of what he liked and didn't like, so she could shape her 'new self' into something that he liked. [She shivered at the thought.]

"Your turn." The guard told her. Lucy looked up.

"What?"

The guard rolled his eyes. "Your turn. Go down this hallway. Are you not going? Then this lady can go." He gestured to Lisanna. For a moment, it seemed if time was suspended between the two. Lisanna nodded her head reassuringly, while a million thoughts raced through Lucy's head. She took in a deep breath, and started walking down the hallway. The guard harrumphed and continued his work.

The dark hallways were lit every so often with a flaming torch; Lucy thought that they were similar to the ones back in her cell, spelled to burn infinitely. The walls were decorated with marble Dragons, like the rest of the castle, and finally, the hall split four ways.

Lucy swallowed. She could turn back. Like, right now. No risk of being caught. She'll find another way to break Michelle out.

She didn't notice that her own feet betrayed her and she started walking down Natsu's path, only noticing when the light got brighter and she walked into the room with Natsu and Igneel.

"Yeep!" she exclaimed. The Prince and Lord looked strangely at her. Lucy covered her mouth and bowed quickly, trying to cover up her mistake. [And her blush.]

"Hello, Lord Igneel, Prince Natsu. My name is Lyra Heart." She started. Natsu raised an eyebrow but grinned, that strange signature grin that took up half his face.

"Hey Lyra. Here, sit down." He told her, gesturing to the empty chair in front of the two. Lucy nervously sat down.

"So, tell us a little about yourself." Natsu said.

"I'm seventeen years old, about to turn eighteen, I, uh, like riding horses, and I travel a lot. I don't come from anywhere special, just far away on the west coasts of Fiore. I dislike staying around in one place, or boring people." Natsu nodded, in thought.

"Where's the rest of your family?" Lucy swallowed.

"My mother... she passed away. My dad still lives in my old town taking care of my little sister. I visit them every so often."

"Can you touch a spider?" the bandit looked up, surprised.

"Spider? Um, yeah... I mean, yes!" She silently scolded herself for being so stuttery. Behind his son, Lord Igneel didn't look that impressed.

"Yes, I can touch a spider. I trek through forests all the time." She noticed it a bit too late. That was a little too close to the Lucy Heartfilia she was trying to hide. Luckily, the two didn't seem to notice. She let out a mental breath.

"Okay! You can go that way." Natsu pointed in front of him. Lucy got up, and walked to that door. She turned around and bowed, as a second thought.

"Thank you for your time, Lord Igneel and Prince Natsu." She quickly exited. As soon as she was out of sight, she inspected her surroundings.

There were about thirty people in the room, and Lucy almost cheered. Since she was almost at the end of the line, this meant she made it!

Wait.

She made it to be a candidate for Natsu's wife! Lucy collapsed on the ground, groaning.

* * *

Barely a minute later, another girl came though the door. Lucy turned around, and was quickly smothered in a hug.

"We made it! yay!" Lisanna screamed. Lucy struggled out of her grip, pouting.

"Yay..." she exclaimed sarcastically. "So, how was your test?" she asked.

"Well, Natsu let me through almost instantly!" Lucy grinned.

"I told you he likes you!" she hissed.

Lisanna rolled her eyes. "I'm not even gonna bother arguing. So, is this the yes or no room?"

"I think it's the yes." Lucy looked around, and at that moment, the lights dimmed.

* * *

**WELL! I have a problem! I have fallen in love with another fire-using anime character! I had to use all my will to pull away from this new series so I could type up this new chapter! Yay, ****Shakugan no Shana!**** Damn, so far it's REALLY GOOD! [haha, not as good as FT though. Nice try, animators. XD]**

**ANDDD! THIS STORY HAS HIT OVER ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! OMG, I LOVE YOU GUYS! And as promised, Congratulations ****Axlorg89****, who was the hundredth reviewer! *throws confetti* Axlorg will get to give me an idea to type up as a one-shot, and make help me make some further decisions later on in the story. Congrats! **

**Dyeni: Ya, I know! there's apparently a holiday going on so the chappy wasn't posted that week. FLARE'S BACK! in celebration, I added a little Flare/flair into this chappy. lol.  
MythandFairyTailLover: Yeah. I forgot to mention I gave out the cheap fruit-gel cookies that suck. MWHAHAHA!  
GoldenRoseTanya: THANKS for reviewing! [caps lock, just to emphasise.]  
Aitanna: that's what [^] GoldenRoseTanya said! convenient... *suspicious look*  
Tawny:*gets teary eyed* I'm epic? I'm EPIC? *starts bawling, hugs Tawny* I LOVE YOUUUUU!  
Sofia3: [call me lazy.] ... I'm uh... not looking for OCs. [other characters.] sorry... There's all the others! I told you you would see them soon!  
Kova: uh... hey?  
Hahahaha8D: well, here you go!  
Lunar Mistress: for some reason I REALLY like your profile pic. That's when Natsu and the others come back from Tenrou Island, right? [I know, i'm weird being able to point out individual pics. I've watched that episode too many times before... makes me squeal in happiness every time.] Don't exhaust yourself1 haha, lol.  
Sabrina: HRMM... well, here you go!  
08: well, trust me, there's gonna be lots of twists and turns from here! the Strauss family have always been nice. HMM, this spells evil author's evil plot... *starts cackling* "whooooo Natsu? say it louder!" YES! no, go on, keep on saying it, I love getting awesome comments like that!**

**AND AXLORG89; congrats! you won the contest! as said above, I'll write a one-shot about your idea, fluff or action or whatever, AND you get to help me with planning in the future for this story. nothing too big, just the occasional question or such. YAY! **

**Review? I'm aiming for 200 now! **

**I'll give out cookies! [and it helps me pull myself away from Shakugan no Shana..!] *sheepish expression*] **


	16. P-Perfectly F-Fine!

**I AM SUCH AN IDIOT. ****_HATE ON MYSELF_****. ****_Why, just why,_**** did I delete my document for Four Magics/Fireflies! Luckily, it's still on Fanfiction... but ARG!**

* * *

The lights dimmed, and slowly, the girls quieted. The only lights were on a small stage, with ten chairs in a row on it. Natsu and Igneel walked up on it, and some of the girls squealed. Lucy tch-ed, rolling her eyes in the darkness.

"Hello! You girls have been chosen as possible candidates for being the future bride-to-be for Natsu!" Igneel introduced. The girls cheered, except Lucy in the background. She didn't care about this stupid ceremony, she just wanted to sneak out and hide in the castle for a bit until she could break Michelle out.

"Natsu will now read the names of the ten girls that he had chosen." The parent looked over at the boy, who was holding a piece of paper in his hands. The Prince took in a deep breath and read.

"Erza Scarlet." The scary redhead walked up on the stage, and sat down on the first chair. She looked tall and proud, and she honestly was a beautiful character. Her scarlet hair was as soft and smooth-looking as red velvet, and she wore a slimming violet dress decorated with flowers stitched into the bottom. Her eyes were dark chocolate.

"Lisanna Strauss." Lisanna gave her a grin and walked up to the chairs, sitting down next to the woman named Erza.

Natsu named a few more, and Lucy silently counted in her head. "Flare Corona," a creepy redhead whose head was cocked to the side. Six. "Kinana Cuberos," a kind-looking purple-haired girl wearing a green dress. Seven. "Angel Wings," a slightly Asian-looking girl wearing a long, feathery dress. Eight.

At this point, he wouldn't choose her. Spirit silently cheered.

"Lyra Heart."

Lucy froze, looking up at the stage in shock. The girls around her noticed her shift and gave her dirty looks, but Lucy could only stare for a moment. Dumbfoundedly, without thought, she walked up the stage, and sat down. She blinked, realizing her feet betrayed her again. _Damn feet_! Lucy took a deep breath in, trying to relax her panicking nerves. It didn't work.

The bandit was chosen to be his WIFE.

_I was chosen to be Natsu's WIFE._

Her brain exploded, and she had to stop herself from jumping out the window. THIS WAS BAD. So, so very bad. This meant she'd have to spend more time with Natsu. While the idea on its own was horrifying, the worst part was that he had a better chance of recognizing her and kicking Lucy out of the competition before she could break Michelle out. Did she mention that she could possibly have the chance of marrying Natsu?

She mentally shuddered, while Natsu called the last girl. "Meredy Pink." A pink-haired girl sat down next to Lucy, smiling over at her, seemingly very excited.

"Are you happy? You seem very nervous," she whispered. Lucy's head whipped around to face her, and she pasted on a wide, phony smile.

"M-Me? I-I'm fine! Perfectly f-fine! S-Seriously, I'm A-okay, not panicking at a-all!" Her eyes were wide, and her right eye twitched. Meredy turned back to face the crowd, swallowing.

"Could all ten women go down that hallway?" Igneel asked. "All other girls can go down that one." With some cheers and some grumbles from each groups, they filed out to where the King of the castle instructed.

Lisanna ran up to her. "You got picked!" Lucy pasted that phony smile on, but Lisanna couldn't help but notice the twitch in her eye.

"Yeah..! I got... picked. I'm so... _happy_." She grit through her teeth. Lisanna swallowed, the same reaction as the pink-haired girl before.

"I'm gonna... uh, go ahead. And, uh... bye!" She zoomed to the front of the crowd, but Lucy couldn't peel off the wide fake grin on her face and wide eyes. She looked positively insane, twitching after the other girls walking down the hallway.

* * *

The girls stopped at a room, with ten guards inside and an equal number of chairs. The girls supposed they were to sit down, so they all did.

Eventually, the King walked into the room, standing tall and proud. Natsu wasn't with him. "Hello. My name, as you may know, is Lord Igneel Dragneel, Lord of the Dragneel castle and Natsu's father." Lucy knew the royalty act on this guy was false, remembering his real childish behaviour when she first met him. She sweatdropped at the thought of it.

_ Igneel grinned, scarily similar to his son's grin, and she couldn't believe it for a second. Lucy let out a huff of air._

_ "I'm... uh, talented?" she answered. She swore she got a tic in her eye._

_ "Well, good job!" he patted her on the back, and she nearly tipped forward from the force of it. Behind his figure, she saw Queen Grandine roll her eyes._

"Well, luckily for you all, one of you is going to be chosen to be future Natsu's bride-to-be. For the next two weeks, you will all spend time with the Prince, and he will later decide who to marry, got it?"

The girls nodded, so Igneel threw him arms out. "Well, you're all going to be living here for the next two weeks, so we'll get you some nice clothes for you to wear around. Plus, you'll be having a guard accompany you all the time, for security measures and stuff." The guards walked up to the girls, on cue, and randomly chose a future bride to accompany.

Lucy didn't bother looking, she saw a vague character move beside her. She didn't really care who she was with, even though a guard would be troublesome. Of course, she could easily evade him when the time came.

"So, that'll be it. Your guard will escort you to your new rooms now." Lucy stood up, and ran after her blue-uniformed guard, still not paying attention to him. As they passed the hallways, she was mentally plotting the castle for quickest escape routes and such. They were deep in the castle, no doubt.

Lucy climbed a staircase, feeling the texture of the walls outside. They were rock; easy enough to scale. But her rope was too short for how high she was going. She could possibly scale to another window and move down, but that was troublesome and she didn't want to flash her panties to anyone that looked up.

She sighed, but followed the guard, who disappeared around the curl of the never-ending staircase. "Sorry, Lyra that there's so many stairs. It is a nice room, I assure it. I hope you're not scared of heights." She heard the guard say. Okay, whatever. She wasn't scared of heights and she slept in a forest most often and recently a cell. She wasn't bothered, or cared for that matter, about a good room.

She climbed the last of the stairs, and the guard opened the door. Despite herself, her mouth widened in surprise.

It was a nice room, she had to admit. There was a queen-sized bed, with a lush blue comforter and plushy blue pillows. The walls were painted the same colour as the sheets. There was a large wooden dresser/table/mirror put to the side, and there were twin white double-doors on the other side of the room.

Lucy walked inside, and opened the doors. She got dizzy at the sight of it. She was rooming in the tallest spire of the castle, on a nice white balcony. The fast-moving wind made her hair twist and dance, and Spirit had to hold it down. She was sure, it she reached hard enough, she could touch the clouds from here.

Lucy turned around. "Than... ks." Her sentence drifted off, and she realized who her guard was.

_Great. Just... great_.

The Ice-mage guard Gray was standing in front of her, just standing inside the room. He was smirking, his hands in his pockets, looking down at her.

"Thanks!" She covered it quickly. "I'm, uh, really thankful. It's, uh a really nice room!" She stammered. Gray smirked further, making her scowl.

"Glad you like it, Lyra." the way he said it made Lucy a little... uncomfortable. They walked back inside, Lucy closing the door behind them.

"So, I'll be staying in the room below yours, and if you're going down or need anything, just ring. And there's new clothes in the drawer." He gestured to a little bell attached to the wall, and then the dresser, in a lazy, cat-like manner. "Yeah. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Eh... er... No!" she realized she was stuttering a bit, and blushed. Gray clued onto this and his smirk became a little more... snooty. The bandit didn't like that, and tried to wipe the red off her face, scowling.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a little bit of mocking added to his tone.

Glowering, she replied, "Yes. I'm fine. It's just hot out." _Totally_ the wrong thing to say.

The temperature around the guard dropped, and suddenly, Lucy was cold. "That better, _Lyra_?"

"Y-yeah. T-thanks." She stammered.

"Okay, if you're fine, then I'll be heading downstairs. There's nothing scheduled until supper, so I'll alert you then." He told her, walking to the door and opening it.

"O-Okay. Just make sure you, uh, knock."

"Sure." He chuckled, and Lucy fought the urge to throw her flats at his face. Unfortunately, she knew that it wouldn't hurt that much and he would recognize her as her 'boot-throwing self, [as Natsu had said,] after that.

She sighed, but listened to his footsteps travel down the stairs. When she couldn't hear him anymore, she ran up to the door. There was a lock. She twisted it, and let out a huff.

Great. Gray, the Ice-mage guard who injured her heavily before, now had a crush on her and was flirting. With Lyra Heart, who was her, in disguise.

Just flippin great.

The bandit sighed, checking the room for Magical Sensors before releasing the spell to disguise her. it was taxing, honestly, to keep the face of Lyra Heart on, but she was finally getting used to Transformation Magic. She would recuperate until supper, she decided, moving about and inspecting her new room.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock.

"It's me, Gray!" the man called. Lucy grabbed the picture of Lyra, focused, checked the mirror hastily, and opened the door.

"Hello." She greeted, putting on a smile.

"Okay, so you'll have to get dressed up, Mighty Igneel says." Gray told her. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Mighty Igneel?"

Gray rolled his eyes. "It's what he tells us to call him." Lucy couldn't help her lip cracking into a smirk.

"Okay, I'll be getting dressed," she said.

"Good. Dresses are in the second drawer. They're Magically spelled to fit the wearer, so pick a dress and comeon." He told her. She shut the door, locked it, and moved to the dresser.

When she opened the drawer, she grinned. They were pretty! Lucy shuffled through the dresses, and then pulled one out.

She slipped on the dress with difficulty, and then spun around in front of the mirror, hands up. She had to admit, she did look good in this dress.

The dress was stunning on the bandit. It was a midnight black, long, strapless dress with a slight poof at the end. It was tight enough that it didn't squeeze her to death, but was padded in certain areas to make her already generous curves and assets look better than they already were. Tiny silvery sequins were sewn into the fabric with enough delicacy that her body looked like the starry night sky; when she moved it seemingly created a trail of stardust. She hadn't done her makeup or added accessories and she already looked dazzling.

**[A/N. To all of you who read FireFlies..!] **

Wait. She looked too good. Lucy took off the dress quickly and got into another one; this one a pale blue. She looked good, but not perfect. That was good. She didn't want to look too good; in fact, until she could break Michelle out, she would act like a slob to make sure she _didn't_ end up as Natsu's wife.

She grinned cattishly, giving a second glance at the mirror to check her appearance before opening the door again. Gray smiled, and moved back so she could step through. She hoisted her dress up, and trot down the stairs, purposely ignoring the Ice-make guard.

* * *

** A little GraLu, for all you shippers. I no promise Love Triangle.**

**T^T I AM SUCH AN IDIOT! Arg, so frustrated right now. You may know my other multichaps, Four Magics/Fireflies, a [about to be,] trilogy, well, I just realized that I deleted the documents on my laptop. Just great. Now I'll have to copy/paste each chapter back onto another document! I hate myself. **

**Now I'm gonna be a little Tsundere. Did I mention I love you guys? I really do. I get so much love for me and my stories..! *sobs, hugs all reviewers, favouriters, and followers,* I LOVE YOU ALL! Unfortunately, because I got so many reviews, I can only do some replies... I don't want to cram them all in at the bottom... sorry!**

**Aitanna: *faints from compliments*  
Fairy-Tail's-Dragon: I know! I'm only on the seventh episode and can't watch more because I HAVE TO TYPE THIS WHILE EATING CUPCAKES! I'M GONNA GET FAT!  
SnowDragonSlayerTasha: YEAH, LIKE A BOSS! The problem is, Lucy's not a complete idiot. She remembers a certain yellow-haired mage that Natsu warned her about, [you'll see him later!] plus, she's not just gonna storm a castle on her own, is she? About the disguise, she can't exactly waltz in undisguised, can she?**

**Well, thanks to my other reviewers [which I am unfortunate to not be able to reply,] 1fairytaillover, KSB.96.12, NatsuandLucy4ever, Axlorg89, Sofia3, AngelTheSwordMage, 8XxAnimexX8, 08, TheGrammarQueen, and Lunar Mistress! **

*****Place catchy review question here.*****


	17. Shut up!

Minerva checked the bolt on her door, and then spun on her heel, looking in distaste around the room. It was plush, soft red, the room on its own probably costing many hundred thousand Jewels, but Minerva bent down and felt the sheets. This simply wouldn't do, but living beside her said it was the best room.

After she'd walked down Sting's route, Sting let her down the passageway and she was chosen to be one of the candidates for his wife. She curled her lip in distaste.

She wanted a prince, not a silly third heir to the throne! Plus, she was not marrying Gajeel, that Iron Dragon Slayer lump that was hairy and gross. Rogue looked smart and observant enough to find Minerva out, so the lady went down Eucliffe's route.

She'd gotten in, of course. If she, of all people, didn't make it the first time, she'll definitely make it the second. _I'm surprised Sting didn't marry himself to me right away_, Minerva thought, moving to the windows. She brought down the drapes, covering the room in darkness. Once again, she frowned at the cheap material.

She let her Magic lacyrima ball flow out from a Space she created, putting it on the bed. She sat next to it, tapping the surface with her long fingernails and thinking of who she wanted to contact.

"Minerva." The girl looked down and smirked.

The ball had imitated a hologram, hovering a few inches off the surface of it. In the hologram, there was a monstrously-sized man, wearing huge dark pearls around his neck and a vest that showed off his huge muscles.

"Jiemma. How do you fare?"

"I'm fine." He said gruffly. "How is your mission doing?" at his words, Minerva [in a very ladylike manner,] wrinkled her nose.

"Igneel's son is an idiot. He didn't choose me for his candidates." Jeimma slammed his fist down on the table that the lady couldn't see.

"What? How dare he insult my daughter like that!" he roared.

"But, I did get into the competition. Just with Eucliffe. I have a feeling he's the only other one stupid enough not to notice our plan as it is in action." She told him. Her father was almost shaking in his fury, and the image got much clearer, signs that the Magic level he was putting into the communication lacyrima was raising.

"Eucliffe? He won't do. He's the third heir, he gets hardly a portion of his Kingdom when the time comes. Barely enough land for us to steal. With the eldest Dragneel—"

"Yes, yes, I'm very well aware of that," Minerva snapped. "Prince Dragneel is an idiot, I can't help that. I'll have him wrapped around my little finger soon though." She let the Magic flow in her stop, and the image flickered.

"Goodbye, Father."

"Minerva." He nodded before the image tapped out.

The lady recollected the ball in her personal Space, making it disappear from view, only remembering now about the stupid girl that she'd kidnapped before. With a huff, she let the girl be pulled out, and she dropped to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.

The petite girl shuddered and coughed on the floor, and Minerva stomped a heel near her face. The girl looked up, instantly terrified. She tried to scramble back, but the lady also caught her dress under her foot.

"Hello. My name is Minerva. You are going to call me Milady." She snapped. The girl nodded quickly, still panting slightly. There was a line of sweat across her brow and her lip quivered. She had longish, sea-colored hair, and amber eyes.

"You're going to be my maid." The girl blinked, as if confused.

"But... why?" she rasped. Minerva didn't like the dry voice and poofed in a tin full of water. The girl uncapped it and glugged it down greedily.

"Don't use it all. That may have to last you the next few days." Minerva told her. She abruptly stopped, wiping water from her mouth.

"Why? Because I told you so. If you don't, well... I can easily stop the airflow in my Spaces, you know. With you trapped inside." The girl's eyes widened and she shuffled around quickly, as if trying to find something.

"Looking for this?" The lady laughed, holding up a Scribe's pen. The girl stared back at the thing floating in her hand, but she closed it, putting it back into a private Space where the girl couldn't get it.

"You do well; I'll make air-flow good. Bad... well, honey, you'll find it really hard to breathe." Minerva smirked. The girl seemed very panicked, stuck on the ground like that.

"Now, because I'm nice, I'll let air good today, just because it's your first day. What's your name?"

The girl recoiled slightly, her over-reactive imagination working at dizzying speeds to what this lady could do to her.

"Levy." She said timidly.

"My Lady," Minerva snapped.

"Levy, My Lady."

* * *

A few hours after that, it was dinner, and each girl was filing in with a guard to sit at the table. Each seat had a name card, the girls chosen for Natsu sitting at one table, the ones for Gajeel in the next, Rogue next to that and Sting at the far end.

Lucy noted that while Natsu's table was mixed, Gajeel's table beside her was filled with tall, busty ladies that loved to talk and giggle. Rogue's was mixed, but none seemed to be too loud, most actually looked... average. Sting's was similar to Gajeel's, filled with beautiful ladies, all except one. She was cute, white-haired with amber eyes, but not particularly busty or gorgeous.

Lucy sat down, about the same time as Minerva came in. The bandit was expert at reading people, just by seeing their movements, and boy did this woman scream V-A-I-N. Her hips swerved like she was doing it on purpose, her lipstick was unnaturally bold, her hair was done up in a fancy cascade of hair, and her dress was super-tight, showing off every curve. The neckline literally plunged, showing off lots of cleavage.

V-A-I-N. Spirit repeated mentally, finding her own spot. She sat down, and Gray went... somewhere or other. She didn't care, and purposely didn't watch him go.

Girls started filling in, and Lucy inspected the two name tags beside her. Angel and Erza. Spirit vaguely remembered them as the Asian white-haired woman and the scary redhead. She looked past that, and noticed Lisanna's card on her far right. She switched Angels with hers.

Eventually, every girl came in and sat down, Lisanna sitting next to her, and a soldier called out. "Please stand for the royal family!"

Spirit had to stop herself from rolling her eyes as everyone stood up. The Dragneel's and Redfox's started filling in at the head table. Lucy watched, only because everyone else was doing it, as the family sat down. Lucy's gaze found itself on Natsu, who was wearing a red vest, similar to the one she saw him first in. He was staring straight ahead, seemingly bored out of his mind.

"You may now be seated."

The girls sat, mostly silent. The bandit took her seat, waiting for the food. She was hungry, godamnit!

Luckily, servants came in with huge plates of food. Lucy was offered so many type of fancy food, and she accepted them all. Grinning cattishly, she grabbed a loaf of bread in one hand and a spoon in the other.

"Would you like some wine, madam?" a servant asked, obviously distasted by her purposely messy eating habits.

She thought for a moment. While it would make her act seem more convincing, she knew she couldn't hold her liquor. She didn't want to get drunk on her mission.

"Naw, I'm cool." She waved him off, and continued eating like a maniac. Erza, the scarlet, eyed her quickly disappearing plate.

"You are obviously hungry, Ms. Heart." She said stiffly.

"You can call me Lyra. But, yeah, totally! I'm like, starved." She said, eating another bun. They were really good. Sweetened with honey, most likely, which was so sweet and uncommon to the bandit that she kept on coming back for more. "Mmm... isn't the food great here, Erza?"

"Yes, it is." She said, turning back to... Lyra stopped for a moment, confused. On the scarlet's plate was a slice of cake. Strawberry, it looked like.

No way did this lady finish faster than she did and go on to dessert already!

Erza caught her staring. "Oh, no, it's not like that. I specially requested it. I wanted to try the cake here. It's delicious, just like the rumours say." Lucy nodded.

"Could I try a bite?"

...

"_No!_" Erza seemed to grow bigger, and Lucy wanted to run and scream. Her eyes turned similar to a Demons, fiery red, and her teeth grew longer, sharper. Erza's voice was loud and raspy. "You may not have a piece of my cake!" Suddenly, she turned normal, taking another bite happily.

Lucy turned back to her plate robotically, scared out of her mind.

Never, ever ask for a bite of cake from her, she told herself, lifting a forkful of salad to her mouth.

At Erza's outburst, Lucy now noticed that everyone was staring at the two. Lucy paled, fighting the urge to bolt. All of her bandit instincts screamed because everyone was _looking at her_. It was wrong. Unfortunately, the Redfox's and Dragneel's, including Natsu, were staring at her also. Erza paid no mind, already eating strawberry cake, leaving Lucy to explain it all on her own.

"Heh, uh, sorry. She just... uh... doesn't take asking for, uh, a bite of cake well." She stammered, gesturing to the scarlet. She swallowed.

They shrugged and the attention was pointed back at the food. Lucy felt like there was a weight strapped off her chest. Phew.

Lisanna beside her grinned cattishly. "Too close." She whispered. Lucy hit her arm, not looking over.

"Shut _up_." the bandit hissed exasperatedly.

* * *

After everyone finished eating, Igneel stood up.

"Okay, so we have nothing planned for after this, you may all return to your rooms. I request Erza Scarlet, Yukino Agura, Bethany Peach, and Espa Metony get a good night sleep, because you're going to be spending the day with the princes, 'Kay?"

The four nodded, and everyone stood up, finding their guard. Lisanna elbowed her. "Do you want to chat for awhile? My room or yours?" Lucy thought for a moment. She did want to talk, but she wanted to plot the castle out as much as possible.

"Yours." At that moment, Gray finally found the [current,] brunette and stopped.

"Hey, is it okay—" she noticed the humorous expression on his face. "What?" she snapped.

"That stunt you pulled with Erza?" he asked, smirking. "She's an old friend of mine. You asked her for a bite of cake, did you?" she nodded miserably, and Gray started guffawing. Lucy hit him.

"Yeah, yeah, so what were you about to ask?" he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

"I wanted to ask you if I could go in Lisanna's room with her for a bit. Hang out." She explained. Gray nodded.

"Hey Lisanna. Haven't seen you in awhile." Gray said, looking over at her. "You're really in this competition? I'm surprised. I thought you didn't like Natsu?"

Lisanna turned red. "Well, no, I don't, but if he gets a bunch of crappy girls... well, I can be there as... a friend. I know Natsu well enough that he doesn't want to do this anyway." Gray smirked.

"_Sure_. Well, about you two chatting, it's not banned to do that, so I suppose you can." He turned to the white-haired mage. "Where's your guard?"

Al, the dark-haired mage guard who was previously guarding Michelle's cell, Lucy recognized him, walked up behind Lisanna. "Here."

Gray propped him, and the four headed to another part of the castle. Lucy was busy plotting exit points, but Lisanna stopped, turning towards a door. She bumped into the Take-Over mage, knocking her out of her stupor. She blinked.

"Well, this is it." Lisanna said.

"Well be right next door if you need us ladies." Gray told them, walking off with Alzack and disappearing around the bend. The girls went inside.

The room was similar to Lucy's room, only pink. It was simple but luxurious. "So, any new accomplishments?" Lisanna asked, locking the door. The bandit shook her head.

"No. I've been plotting the castle for exit points. I'm not gonna make the mistake of being trapped at a dead end with Michelle. I'm not going to make a stupid mistake like that. The only problem is measuring the guard's powers. I know the one's dressed in blue are mages, but how strong are they? Some, I certainly can't face without using my Keys as a last resort. Like the Dragneel's or the particular yellow-haired mage Natsu told me about." She explained. Lisanna seemed impressed.

"Seems you're really thinking this—" her surprised expression turned into a grin. "I'm surprised you remembered something that Natsu said before." Lucy blinked, not getting the implication behind the words.

"You remembered a very small detail that _Prince Natsu_ told you." She explained further, rolling her eyes. Lucy's face turned crimson, veins popped above her head, and steam bellowed from her ears.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She shouted, throwing her shoe. Lisanna got hit, but Lucy remembered her shoes were flats and therefore useless. The Take Over mage merely laughed.

"Oh, shut up! You like Natsu anyways, I'm not stopping you." Lucy mumbled.

Lisanna stopped laughing. "Okay, explain this to me. Why do you think I like Natsu?" she asked. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"It's obvious! The way you were sitting at the table and you kept sending each other _Looks_ that were long and... stuff!" She huffed. "You two are childhood friends! Every novel had the long-time boy and girl friendship and then the boy or girl falls in love with the other but they're too afraid to ask because they don't want their friendship ruined!" she announced. Lisanna giggled.

"My, my. Lucy, I'm in this competition to help you out. We'll succeed or go down in a fiery ball of blazing glory together. I'm not in it to get married to _Natsu_. It sound silly just by saying it. I don't like him any more than a good friend."

"And anyways, I thought you weren't even listening at the dinner table. Although, the way you're saying it sounds like somebody's jealous." Lucy spun around and glared at the girl.

"Me? Jealous of You and Natsu? What is there to be jealous of?" she snapped. "Like you said, you guys are nothing more than friends anyways."

Lisanna giggled into her hand. "So when it comes to your favour you'll agree with me, but when it doesn't you'll disagree?"

"I will hurt you soon." Lucy told her dryly, narrowing her eyes at the Take-Over mage. Lisanna grinned, taking on the form of Natsu, just like her sister.

"Come'on, Lucy, bring it on." The fake prince brought his hands forwards, before shifting back to the white-haired girl. The bandit scowled at her laughing expression.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

* * *

**I believe I am a hypocrite. I always wrinkle my nose at stories with a really high amount of chapters with a low amount of words. so, ex. 16 chapters, 18,000 words. That's just weird and, well, chappys should be longer! And now I waltz in with a 17 chap story so far, and only come up with... 40,000. [without A/N.] that's like, and average of 2,300 words per chappy! Well, posting them so fast is hard to make them super long too... decisions, decisions... I could make chappys longer, but there would be less frequent updates. Meaning instead of daily, maybe once every two days. Well, I won't be evil to you guys and make you wait that long. We're already waiting a super long time for the anime to come back. [DID YOU HEAR! IT SAID ON THE NEWEST MANGA CHAPPY THAT THE SERIES PROJECT IS RESTARTING! MEANING THEY'RE MAKING EPISODES [or at least planning them,] ****_RIGHT NOW_****!]**

**Once again, gomenisai [?] for not being able to reply to you all! this story's getting popular! **

**Talia: WOW. I'm an idiot. FOUND THEM! in the recycle bin! ... *wallows in pit of self-hating-idiocy* **  
**Cloy552: Well, we see where that goes! **  
**OtakuFangurl: well, you'll see them together eventually! [btw, prob next chappy. possibly the next.] **  
**Sofia: no, NO! that wasn't what I was aiming for! [even though, I'll admit, I used to ship GrayZa, even after the Tower of Heaven ark. Then I shifted to JeRza/GruVia around... Nirvana, I think.] well, whatever, but I have always shipped NaLu! I'm not trying to steer them towards GraLu... "DON'T GO TO THE DARK SIDE!"**


	18. At corners of the castle

**GOING ON ANOTHER TRIP IN A FEW DAYS. READ A/N FOR MORE DETAILS.**

* * *

Levy McGarden shivered, trying to put air into her lungs. She was in a feeble, curled-up position, surrounded by violet walls that seemed to radiate frosty air. It was frigid cold. Blank and depressing and so very hard to breathe in here. The walls were dark purple, and Levy only had enough room to sit in a loose ball position before she elbowed into some possession of Minerva's that she carried around.

She was put into Minerva's Space before the lady went to dinner. Levy didn't like the cold Space at all, and she was having trouble getting air into her lungs. If this was good airflow, she definitely didn't want to get on the woman's bad side, Levy thought helplessly.

Levy was claustrophobic, even better. She didn't like to be stuck in a small space like this and was beginning to panic. Tears welled in her eyes and she clutched her knees helplessly, wishing that someone, anyone, would save her from the lady who put her in there.

Suddenly, there was an opening, and a hand grabbed her arm roughly. She was pulled outside, and landed on red plush carpet with a dull thud. She yelped, but Minerva, standing above her, only snorted. She had her arm in one hand and something metal in the other.

Minerva tugged Levy up, enough that the petite girl was eye-to-eye with her. This woman was strong, despite her thin, twiggy looks. Minerva thrust her other hand at the bluenette, and she felt something wrap around her neck and click. The lady dropped her onto the floor, and she hit her head hard, the wind knocked out of her.

Everything spun, and Levy tried to fist something. She dimly heard Minerva snap, "Get up." she blinked, trying to push herself up on her hands and knees, but couldn't.

Minerva was getting annoyed. "Get up, brat!" She bent over, grabbing Levy's sea-green dress roughly and practically tossing Levy up on her feet. The girl quivered in front of her, and Minerva smirked. It felt good to be feared.

The lady gestured to the collar. "Now look, that collar prohibits Magic, so even if you get your Script pen back you won't be able to use it. It detects negative thoughts, and shocks you when they're directed at me. If you even open your whiny mouth, it'll shock you. If you go out of the room without permission from me, it'll shock you." The cruel lady told her. "you're my pet for as long as that collar stays on."

Levy quivered violently with tears in her eyes. If she only had her Solid Script pen she could— there was a stinging sensation on her neck, and Levy yelped, pulling at the collar. Minerva smirked, moving to the door.

"I'm going to meet up with the Prince." She smirked, then added, "Accidently, of course." The woman said behind her, smiling wickedly, closing the door.

Levy waited for a few moments before tugging at the collar until she could no more, because the burns were beginning to really hurt. She tried everything; pulling, tugging, even trying to pry it off with a letter opener, but the thing was as hard as steel. The aqua-haired girl pouted, more tears forming in her eyes. She was usually creative with her ideas, but this thing wouldn't break.

All seemed lost. Water streamed down Levy's face as she settled against the bed, covering her face with her hands.

* * *

Minerva walked down the hallways, leaving her stupid guard in his room. She would get scolded lightly later, especially if she _bent over _for the man, and certainly not knocked out of this competition.

The lady focused, probing the castle. She'd done her research; she knew the whole castle inside-out. She imagined the blueprints that she'd so rigorously studied for weeks, [she was confident, not stupid,] and slowly, she could sense people.

Her Magic related to Space, meaning she could twist it to make her own private Spaces or sense people moving around Space, up to a certain distance. She could barely sense people around the edges of the castle, but could certainly sense the ones walking down the nearby hallways.

She sensed the pink-haired prince walking down a hallway not too far down from hers. She spun around on her heel, walking down a few hallways, and then, _miraculously_ bumped into him. The pink-haired idiot didn't seem to acknowledge her, continuing to walk down that hallway.

Minerva scowled behind his back. "Hello? Prince Natsu?" the man turned around, seemingly surprised.

"Yes?" he asked, eyes wide, trying to inch away from the raven-haired woman.

"Where are you headed? May I accompany you?" the lady asked, doing a bow, slightly annoyed that he ignored her at first.

"I'm... uh, headed to my roo- the bathroom," Natsu stammered. "I... uh, really gotta go."

The lady inwardly scowled. She couldn't follow him _there_. "Yes, prince. Do not allow me to stop you." Natsu ran off, and the lady walked back to her room, scowling.

* * *

That was too close.

Michelle, disguised as Natsu, walked around a foreign part of the castle, looking around nervously. She was scared. That woman got her lost. Usually, she took the same route to Natsu's room every two days or so, but she had no idea where his room was now that she'd taken a different path.

Natsu's nose was irritating her too. Transformation Magic gave you the physical abilities of the person or animal you transformed into, and the Dragon Slayer's nose was hyperactive compared to her regular one. There were too many scents in the air that she couldn't distinguish and it was giving her a headache.

She was terrified. If she didn't get back to the cell in a few minutes, the guards would find the cell empty. If they found it empty, they would hunt Spirit. Not her.

Michelle couldn't trace her way back. This was apparently a common part of the castle, because she would occasionally pass servants or woman walking with soldiers behind them, and the scents were mingling together confusedly. She just wasn't experienced enough to distinguish the smells from one another.

The girl turned around again, trying to follow the path she came from, but she only ended up even more lost. Every mural and hallway and suit of armor looked the same to her.

Michelle wanted to cry. She was lost and alone in an unrecognizable place without her sister. Her Magic reserves were beginning to wear out and if she didn't return to the cells soon she would be caught. Never mind talking to the Real Natsu right now.

The little girl/prince leaned back on a wall, taking a rest, trying to determine where she was. The hallways were all the same to her. She was so lost.

Suddenly, a door opened not too far where the girl was sitting. She bolted up as two girls walked out. Two silver-haired and brunette girls, saying farewells to each other. The brunette walked past him, knocking on the door beside her. The silver girl winked at Michelle and closed the door, leaving her confused.

The door opened, and a mage guard [Michelle had already learned how to distinguish the two,] came out. He looked beside him at Michelle, making both girls, the brunette and current pinket, freeze.

"Hey, Natsu." The guard greeted him.

"Hi. I, uh..." she made up a lie. "Kinda hit my head, and uh, got lost. My room..?" The guard smirked and pointed the other way.

"Wow, you must have hit your head hard to ask for help." The dark-haired mage smirked. "Down that hall, take a right, turn left at the second hall, and up the staircase." He told her. Michelle/Natsu nodded gratefully.

"Yeah, thanks." She eyed the brunette next to him. She was purposely trying to ignore him, it seemed, because she was focusing on a mural to the right, nose wrinkled. The guard and girl turned around and went the opposite way.

"See you, Flamebrain." The guard waved behind him, but Michelle was already gone.

She bolted down the route the mage told her, and soon, she was on a recognizable path. She ran down to the Grand Hall, quickly shifting into a mouse and slipping past the guards, unnoticed. She scrambled down the stairs.

Soon, the effort to keep that small form from the Spells around the cells was too difficult, and Michelle shifted into her own form. She squeezed through the bars just as she heard the guard coming down. She changed into Spirit as the guard came into eyesight. Michelle glared at him coldly.

The man was a regular guard, in a well-fitting red outfit, carrying a metal tray of cold food. He had dark hair and brown eyes, and he was quite fidgety under Michelle's frigid glare.

The guard swallowed, and quickly deposited the cold food inside, leaving quickly. As soon as the small girl couldn't hear his footsteps, she changed back into her own small body, sighing. Her Magical levels were dangerously low, so she ate the bread and cold soup gratefully.

She was so, incredibly tired. Sleeping; forget about it. If she slept without the Transformation Magic then the guard could come down and catch her in her normal form. Michelle only got a few hours of random naps throughout the day. She was beyond exhausted.

The little blonde lay down on the foam that she now called her bed, releasing the Transformation Magic. She would have to collect some Magic before she fell asleep, because she would need to hold the spell during a catnap.

She reminded herself of why she was doing this. It was all for her sister. She didn't deserve to live like this, and Michelle had to repay for everything that Lucy had done. Without her, the little girl would have died. They supported one another, protecting and defending.

The girl smiled at all the fond memories. _Lucy and Michelle playing hide-and-seek. Climbing up trees. Running away from soldiers._ She let a smile grace her lips, but her eyes started fluttering closed. She fought sleep away, remembering faintly that there was a reason she couldn't, but it was only on the back of her mind.

Michelle yawned, and she slumped over to the side, fast asleep.

* * *

Natsu lay in his bed, checking the rusty clock on his wall again before settling back into the covers. It was late, and Michelle said she would be here tonight to check up on news. But she wasn't here.

For a second, he worried. _Is she okay? Was she caught? _He knew the little girl was clever, and he shouldn't be worrying for her, as she was a bandit and he was a prince and she was the one who tricked him in the first place, but he couldn't help worrying for her.

He noticed he had been restless these last couple of days; he needed to find something to do, or he swore he was going to go insane. Probably the stress of everything that was happening lately, but Natsu was... it felt like he'd lost a boot and he couldn't find it. It was annoying him, and he _needed_ to look for that article of clothing because he couldn't go walking around with one boot. Other boots wouldn't feel right.

Damn boot.

He glanced at the clock again. 9:53. _She should have been here by now_. Despite himself, he did worry for her.

Natsu rolled over, fisting his precious white scarf in his hands before his eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

Lucy stared at the ceiling, feeling irritated.

At what, she didn't know, but something was bugging her. Very. It was like an itch on her back that she couldn't scratch, and it was driving her insane.

She didn't like that she was in this competition, not one bit. The only reason she was here was for Michelle. At the moment, she didn't know how long it was going to take until she could break her out. She wasn't going to charge in like a maniac and get herself and Michelle killed.

But even being here bugged her. Would this have happened if Michelle and I hadn't been playing hide-and-seek that day? We wouldn't have met Natsu and this whole situation wouldn't have happened.

_"Hey Lucy!" The little blonde cried, running up to the addressed girl. The bandit smiled and turned around from the small campfire that she'd made for breakfast. _

_ "Yeah?" Lucy smiled faintly, wondering what Michelle was asking for. _

_ "After breakfast could we play hide-and-seek?"_

It was barely two weeks ago and yet it felt like a millennia. Lucy huffed, turning over in the bed. She was proud that Michelle could somehow get Natsu, the prince of the Dragneel Kingdom, on her side, but Lucy wouldn't let the little girl go. She wold fight an army to break Michelle out, and nothing was going to stand in her way.

Lucy knew that tomorrow, the scary redhead named Erza would spend the day with the Prince tomorrow. She dimly remembered that Erza was the first one called up on the stage, so the bandit supposed they were calling in order, meaning Lucy had nine days to break Michelle out and avoid Natsu and the rest of the Dragneel's.

Lucy closed her eyes firmly, and slowly, her muscles relaxed and her breathing slowed.

* * *

**Heh... I'm sorry guys. I TOTALLY forgot to mention I was going on a trip... for a few days... and likely on another **camping trip in the next two/three days**... Whoops... sorry for no updates... *sheepish grin* FINALLY got this chappy done. Me no likey though. I didn't want to redo it, so, well, deal with it, cause I'm tired because I had to handle all five of my cousins for the past four days. Still had fun!**

**Sorry for not being able to reply to you all! Lots of questions and long paragraphs I have to answer! Thanks to JazzinAces, 8XxAnimexX8, Dyeni, GoldenRoseTanya, JoeyJoelleTwinOtaku, MythandFairyTailLover, 08,and ZeloraNDZ for reviewing! I'm sorry I can't reply to you guys! **

natsuandlucy4ever**: "YES! grab your torches!" Minerva=beach [if you get what I mean.]  
**Axlorg89**: Haha, lol, I laughed reading your review. GaLe, GaLe! I never know if I should pronounce it Gale [one syllable] or Gay-lee. Am I weird? NaLi, I know, I was too attached to NaLu to really see NaLi. apparently Hiro only brought Lisanna back to life because of the anime director. GaLu? NOOOOoooo...  
**Talia**: me, hyper? Who am I and what have I done with myelf? People would not usually describe me as hyper... I'm actually a fairly mature person, I find. I'm a smarty-pants, and actually not very social if you don't know me that well. Whatevs! *throws a random stack of paper over shoulder*  
**Sofia3**: DO NOT GO TO THE FORBIDDEN DARK SIDE! ha, lol, I ship NaLu, GaLe, JeRza, GrUiva, CaPpy, StiKino, uhh... I don't really do crack pairings...  
4ever Dreaming: thank you for the many reviews! here's your update!  
**TALIA**: ha, no, I update like, daily. No specific schedule, but I update quite frequently nearly every day or the second. I'm sorry for not updating for the past four days! I totally forgot to mention I was going on another trip. *sighs* Well, I'll be going on yet another camping trip in two, three days, FYI, so expect one/two more chappy before a slight halt. I'll be typing ASAP though!**

**REVIEWWWWWwwwwww... **


	19. Everything goes wrong

**HAD TO RE-UPDATE. FORGOT A PART. THANKS!**

* * *

Natsu woke up to the sound of knocking on his door. He groaned and rolled over, eyes flying open and the wind knocked out of him when he crashed down onto the floor.

He spluttered, but got onto his hand-and-knees, using the bed for support before getting up and walking to the door. He glanced at the clock, checking the time. 6:20 in the morning. Natsu inwardly groaned.

Natsu twisted the door handle and pulled. "Yes?" he muttered sleepily, rubbing the gunk out of his eyes. It was the redhead, Erza something-or-other, standing there in...

"Why are you wearing a suit of armor?" the prince asked, looking at the female's attire. It was a metal breastplate with a pleated skirt and a sword in her sheath. Natsu blinked.

"This is my regular attire, Prince Natsu. If it bothers you, I can change." The redhead started glowing, and Natsu had to cover his eyes from the silver light. Quickly, it faded, and Erza was now in a formal but simple blue outfit.

"Uh... you're a mage?" Natsu asked. Erza nodded.

"I use a Magic called The Knight. It allows me to change armor and weapons whenever I wish." The woman explained. "I was famous back in my hometown for destroying a hundred monsters trying to raid my village." Natsu's eyes widened. _She said it with such ease..._

"Wow... impressive, I guess." The prince blinked. "So, you're here to hang out with me for the day?" Erza nodded.

"Okay, let me get changed. I'm, uh, still in my PJs." Erza looked down, and then back up at his face.

She bowed. "Yes, take as much time as you need, Prince Dragneel."

Before he closed the door, he told her, "Don't worry, Erza. You can just call me Natsu. I don't like the whole title thing unless it's necessary." Natsu closed the door, and quickly got changed into his normal black and gold attire, with baggy beige trousers. He kept his scarf around his neck, as always.

He opened the door, and Erza backed up so he could get out. "So, what would you like to do?" Natsu asked, looking beside him.

Erza thought for a moment. "I don't really know. What about we explore the castle for a bit?"

"Sure."

So, the two walked around, Natsu pointing out rooms and their purpose. They walked for awhile, but stopped at the prince's training room. "Well, this is my training room," he told her, opening the door, showing off punching bags, weights, and a large clear area for fighting. Natsu noted that the crater in the wall from him punching the punching bag into it hadn't been replaced yet.

Erza walked into the room, looking around. "It's a fine room. I'm guessing that that area is for fighting?" she pointed to the clear space, and Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, usually Gray and I practice on one another, since I find it's good to keep in shape." He walked up behind her.

Erza nodded. "I agree. What about we practice, you and I?" she asked, looking at him.

"Er... sure, but... I don't go easy." He said, unsure. He didn't want to pummel his possible future wife into the ground.

"Then I won't either." The scarlet told him. She walked to the opposite end of the field, and Natsu got into a stance. Erza remained in the same place.

"Go!"

Natsu dashed forwards, and the silvery light returned. Within seconds, it disappeared, and a sword was pointing at his neck. The prince rolled, avoiding himself being impaled, but the weapon changed once again. Erza jumped over his punch, using a yellow rod with a blade at the end to stop herself and quickly spin around.

Suddenly, the ending crackled, and Natsu only had enough time to leap out of the way before there was a small smoking crater where he once stood. He swallowed, lighting his hands and charging. Erza changed her blade again, she still hadn't changed armour, tripped him, and he fell flat on his face. He rolled, just to avoid her sword.

Natsu panted, but the scarlet didn't even seemed winded. She dashed forwards, taking him by surprise, and a few slashed later, the prince crumpled to the ground, a little chibi ghost flying from his head.

Erza turned around slowly, pointing her sword at the heap. "Can you stand?"

"N-No..."

"Then I win this fight." She told him, smiling.

"But seriously, can you get up?"

The rest of the day had to be spent in the infirmary. Erza had apologized greatly [I apologize deeply, Lord Igneel, I have a tendency not to know when to stop,] and Natsu decided that this lady was not going to be his wife.

He was not marrying a woman who could beat himself in a fight with ease. So, no redhead.

Erza stayed next to him the whole time, not even getting up to eat or have breakfast or lunch. She remained there by his side the whole time. Natsu would have thought that her legs would have fallen asleep on the uncomfortable chair, but Erza didn't seem bothered.

"So, what importance to you is your scarf?" she asked suddenly, making the severely bandaged Natsu look over at her. "If it doesn't intrude. I was just wondering, because the nurses seemed very strict as to not take it off or even touch it."

Natsu smiled slightly. "It was given to me by my dad. He was leaving on a long trip and he gave it to me before he left. He said to me that the scarf was passed down through the Dragneel family, just as our Magic was," he explained, remembering that day like it only happened yesterday. _That trip was when I met Spirit for the first time_... he realized. He shook his head, trying to dispel those thoughts.

"But, uh, yeah. My scarf is really important to me." He finished. Erza nodded, eyes softening.

* * *

On the other side of the castle, Lucy was pacing nervously, preparing for supper. It had been a fairly simple day, taking trips around the castle with Gray while plotting out the building and worrying for Michelle. Lisanna had been planning too, but more focusing on the power level of the guards, just how Spirit had instructed her.

Lucy sighed, getting another simple red dress on before going downstairs for supper. Gray was waiting for her already, taking her arm and escorting her to the dining room. Once again, she was sitting next to the scary redhead Erza and Lisanna. The silver-haired mage sent her a wink and turned back to Igneel, who was standing upon the final people's arrival.

"Hello! This is the second day of the Dragneel Redfox's marriage ball! I hope you are all having fun! The only announcements are that Meredy Pink, Pearl Imotache, Flora Pengin, and Sue Phanord will be with their respective princes tomorrow." Lucy froze at his words.

The order of females chosen to go out with the princes was wrong. That meant the girls chosen to hang with Natsu for the day was completely random. Meredy was chosen after her as the last voted... This meant she could have the chance of being stuck with the prince soon, or a week from now.

Her mind started thinking in overdrive, so much that she didn't even notice food being placed in front of her. Lisanna purposely nudged her with her elbow, and Lucy looked up in surprise with troubled eyes. Lisanna smiled reassuringly, understanding her thoughts. They returned to their plates, Lisanna eating at a normal pace, but Lucy picked at her food half-heartedly.

If the bandit was chosen to go out with Natsu for that day before she broke Michelle out, it was game over. Lucy swallowed, finally deciding.

_ Tonight, I'm breaking Michelle out._

* * *

Michelle sat in the cell, in her normal form, looking at the floor helplessly. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold the act up.

_Lucy's far, far away from here by now, _Michelle thought. She leaned back, reassured. She would have to stay here until the guards caught her disguise. Then...

Well, she didn't know what would happen. Sure, she had Prince Natsu on her side, at least partially, and she could use Magic to defend herself, but getting up and checking on Natsu for reports while keeping her disguise on was taxing.

She was lucky, this morning. She had fallen asleep last night, and forgot to put on the Transformation Magic. The guard had come down to deposit her breakfast, seen her, bolted up the stairs, but by then, Michelle had been startled awake and changed back to Lucy before the other guards came down.

The little blonde sighed, tucking her knees closer to her body. As far as she knew, Lucy hadn't come back to the castle, according to Natsu, but Michelle couldn't totally believe that.

She knew her sister. She knew that Lucy, and herself, was attached to one another. She would never expect the elder bandit to leave her here.

Once again, Michelle wondered where Lucy was and what she was doing right now. Michelle inhaled slowly, putting on the Transformation Magic again, taking the form of Lucy, before falling asleep for a catnap.

* * *

A few hours later, the spoken bandit was lying in her new plush bed, waiting for the light of the sky to fade and everything to turn black before she broke Michelle out.

Lucy checked the clock. 11:34. She got up, and checked her belt again, [for the thirtieth time,] making sure that there was no possession of hers that remained in the room. The bandit zipped up her black one piece, hiding her golden hair, and kept her Keys in reach on her belt. She began to leave the room.

For some reason, she turned around at the last moment, and walked straight to the balcony. She took in a deep breath, looking over the forest with a faint smile. She turned around and closed the doors, exiting the room and tiptoeing by Gray's room. She pressed and ear to his door; there was loud snoring coming from the other side.

The bandit fought the urge to giggle, opening the door quietly. The well-oiled hinges didn't make a creak, so Lucy stepped in, making sure that no changes in the guard's breathing occurred.

The bandit looked around the room. It was simple, like hers, but blue and with no balcony, despite being so high up. Gray's uniform was hanging on the side of the room; the blonde shuffled through the pockets before grabbing the silver key ring. Grinning deviously, she crept out of the room, descending the stairs and into the hallways.

Her ears strained to hear, but everything was silent. An occasional guard past her every so often, but she would hide behind a suit of armor, her black suit melting with the shadows.

Eventually, she reached the Grand hall. She hid behind the corner, evaluating the guards below her. Two mages, but if she caught them by surprise she could slip past them.

The guards looked up as there was a flash of golden light from above. "Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!" both were knocked backwards, and before they could yell, with a well-placed punch and kick, were knocked unconscious.

"Hello, Princess." Leo, her ginger-haired playboy Spirit, bowed. "how may I help you?"

"Help me drag the bodies somewhere where they won't be found." Lucy rolled her eyes. Both grabbed the first man by his armpits and ankles, and conveniently found a long curtain that nobody would look behind. They dragged both men over behind it, covering their limbs in cloth.

"It won't be long until they wake up and alert the other guards," Lucy estimated. "I'll have a few minutes."

Leo nodded. "I wish you well on your mission."

"Stay on guard. We'll never know if I need you in a split second." Lucy told him. He disappeared in a flash of sparks.

Lucy ran down the staircase, knife ready in her hand. It glinted in the poor light, but she dashed up to the cell. Another Spirit glared at her for a split second before freezing. "L-Lucy!"

Michelle turned back into herself and ran up to the bars, shaking her head furiously. "No no no no no no no! You can't be here! The guards are going to catch you!" She hissed, flinging her hand out, tears prickling in the corners of her eyes.

"No, they're not. Michelle, I'm never going to stop trying to break you out of here!" Lucy shouted quietly, twisting the keys into the lock and pulling the door open. Tears streamed down Michelle's face, and she shook her head.

"The exit is right outside of here. We have a safehouse barely an hour's walk away. I am not leaving without you!" Lucy told her, eyes sharpening in the darkness.

"No, I'm not coming with you. I don't want you to live hunted for the rest of your life." The girl said, choking back sobs. "I know you don't want to leave me, but I'm doing this for you!" She snapped, her lip trembling.

"Michelle...' Lucy's eyes softened. "I know you don't want me to live that life, but I don't want you killed. We'll travel far away where we'll never hear the name Dragneel again. I'm not leaving without you, and you know that." Michelle seemed unsure.

"Michelle, I will do anything for you. You know me, I won't give up until we're both free." The little girl's lip quivered, and she burst forwards, throwing her arms around Lucy, making her stumble a bit. Her cried were muffled in Lucy's suit, and the bandit wrapped her arms around her sister reassuringly.

"I appreciate the things you went through to help me, Michelle. I love you, you know that?" The girl looked up, eyes wide with tears. She smiled tightly, more tears threatening to spill. Michelle blinked them away, rubbing her nose with her forearm.

"Yeah. Let's go." She sniffled, trying to be enthusiastic. Lucy smiled at her brightly, before handing the girl her cloak. She gestured to the bright-ish clothing she wore now. Michelle slipped it on, drawing it tightly around her. She nodded.

"Now look, once we go up those stairs, there's gonna be lots of guards on night duty. We'll have to go out one at a time. I'll use one of my Spirits as a distraction, and then we'll escape, 'kay?" The smaller blonde nodded. "Now look, if somebody sees us, we're not gonna make it. If you can change into a guard quickly, they might take it as a trick of the light and ignore it. I'll just bolt for the exit. You'll have to follow more slowly."

"About an hour's walk into the forest, around a stream, there's a house. A cabin in the middle of the forest. Tell the silver-haired people there that you're Michelle and you know Lucy. That house is the safehouse, so I'll meet you there if we get separated, Okay?"

Michelle nodded. "You know, if you get captured, I'm not leaving you, right?" She told her. The bandit sighed.

"Yeah, I know." she wasn't going to bother arguing.

Lucy and Michelle climbed up the stairs, and Lucy made sure there was no one outside before climbing up the staircase in the Grand Room. "The doors have too many guards. We'll scale the Garden wall." She explained quietly.

Michelle followed, as silent as a cat, and the pair slipped through the hallways, their figures creating long, frightening shadows on the walls. Michelle swallowed, keeping close to her sister. Lucy gripped her hand reassuringly.

They passed suits of armor and murals, until they were finally at the doors to the gardens. They stopped, pressing themselves against the wall to not be seen by the guards outside.

Lucy inspected them. They weren't mages. Good.

The elder bandit handed the smaller girl her rope and grapple hook she'd prepared earlier. "Michelle, I'll send one of my Spirits to make a distraction, I'll help fight them off and you'll throw the grappling hook. Start climbing, and I'll see you—"

Suddenly, there was a scream behind the duo. Lucy spun around, already summoning Taurus, and the maid who happened to see them was knocked unconscious by the flat of the Bull's axe.

But it was too late. The maid crumpled to the ground, but the damage was done.

The castle was filled with shouts and the thudding of feet, all heading in the direction of the scream.

All heading towards Lucy and Michelle.

* * *

***CHANTS* I'm going on another trip, I'm going on another trip! And leaving you all with a cliff-y, and leaving you all with a cliff-y! Mwahahaha, I'm evil. *devious grin* **

**We've almost hit 100 follows! [97, to be exact,] and 200 reviews! Yay! Now, this story is on the 10th list on the Fairy Tail archives! And we're only half way through the story! YAY! this makes me so happy. I never would have expected that this story would be so popular! *sniffles* I am really evil leaving you guys with a cliffy... I feel bad, but I'm leaving tomorrow morning... *pouts* I'm thinking I could put a prize for the 200th reviewer, but I wouldn't know what at the moment... **

**1Fairytaillover: Thanks! I AM really evil leaving you all with a cliffy...  
Sofia3: Where are you? Uh... in my house, on my laptop, typing this final chappy until I leave for my camping trip? And leaving you all with a cliffy? lol, I'll be back soon, trust me.  
TheGrammarQueen: HMMM... I won't tell you. *evil laughter*  
GoldenRoseTanya: I noticed, you review with a lot more sounds than words... hrm, whatevs! A review is a review!  
: Michelle can use Transformation Magic, [Taken from the idea that in the anime, as the Key of the Starry Sky arc wasn't in the manga, was actually Imitia, the Master of Mimicry and Disguise.] and creeps around the castle to talk to Natsu for reports on Lucy [who she thought was running away.] Lucy, on the other hand, learned Transformation Magic from the Strauss siblings, got into the competition for being Natsu's wife to get closer to Michelle. *huffs* long explanation. Minerva! Hate that beach.  
Prettykitty280: I will! Thanks! I will update ASAP!  
Annie Blackheart XD: OMG, it made you cry! It makes me smile knowing that my story can pull at reader's heartstrings so much! [Great, now I sound like an evil sadist...]**

**So, TC will be on a minor break. I'll type ASAP though!**

_**Rest, relax, and review?**_


	20. Sorry's not enough

All the guards in the gardens spun around and saw the two bandits standing there, including a large, panty-wearing cow. The girls were wide-eyed, like a deer caught in a car's headlights, but the bull walked in front of them protectively, wielding a giant ax.

"Lucy, Michelle, I'll handle this and protect you twoooooo beautiful ladies." He mooed angrily, busting through the doors and charging at the dozen guards running towards them, "go!"

There was only a split-second hesitation, but the girls bolted. Michelle lagged behind Lucy, but the elder sister grabbed onto Michelle's hand, tugging her along and pulling her up if she tripped. Her heartbeat was wild as she unclipped a Key from her belt and she screamed, "Open, Gate of the Lion and Crab, Leo and Cancer!" the two Spirits appeared next to her, easily keeping up pace.

"Maid— screamed— guards know—" she shouted to them breathlessly. Michelle was panting behind her, but Lucy pulled her along, almost roughly. The blonde's Spirits understood, especially when a battalion of red-wearing soldiers wielding long spears blocked their way. Leo and Cancer charged, easily taking out the dozen.

"Go!" Leo cried, kicking a guard away.

"Ebi!"

Lucy and Michelle dashed for the next corridor, where there were seemingly no guards. Lucy's Spirits chased after them, pursued by what looked like a hundred angry soldiers.

* * *

Igneel and Grandine woke up to the sound of a loud scream. They opened their eyes, wiping sleep out of their eyes, as a guard knocked loudly on the door.

"Come in!" Igneel called. The frightened soldier burst into the room.

"There was a scream on the other end of the castle," he told them frantically. Igneel nodded, getting out of bed, slipping on a bathrobe.

"You sleep. I'll handle it." Igneel told his wife. She nodded, knowing full well he could handle himself, and turning over in the bed. Another red-clad guard ran up, coming to escort Igneel to the disturbance. The redhead snorted, already hearing where the problem was.

The two men bolted for the scene. "There seems to be... two bandits at the south end of the castle..." the man panted, trying to keep up with Igneel. While the soldier was running, the King was merely quick-walking to their destination. "The Golden Spirit and the girl that was here before..." he thought for a moment, the answer on the tip on his tongue.

"Michelle?" Igneel inquired. The guard nodded. "Spirit's come to break her out, correct?"

"Most likely."

The redhead nodded, in thought, but increased his pace. He ran through the hallways, where there was a huge commotion.

Gray was there, trying to push through the sea of guards. Some quieted down when they saw Igneel, but most continued charging at the two bandits and people surrounding them. Igneel got a strange, foreign scent from them; and it only confirmed his suspicions when the golden-haired bandit waved a Key in the air and another person appeared. Spirit had stolen her Golden Keys back from him.

"Gray!" the Ice mage turned around.

"Lord Igneel. Michelle has made a reappearance and the Golden Spirit has come back for her," the raven-haired man explained quickly.

Just then, his son ran up to them, wearing an amusing combination of clothing; baggy blue shorts and an open purple vest that didn't match at all, his regular sandals, and his scarf was wrapped hastily around his neck, leaving a lot hanging off his shoulders. He turned and looked at the bandits. Igneel thought he saw a tiny bit of shock and worry deep in his onyx orbs, but it was quickly covered up. _Interesting.._.

* * *

Lucy socked another guy in the crotch, [_who cared if she played dirty or not? She was a bandit, after all_,] pushing him away towards one of her Spirits. Cancer gave him a bad haircut with a few slashes of his scissors and threw him into another dozen soldiers, making them scream and the battalion tumble.

"Lucy!" the bandit spun around, looking at Michelle, who was screaming her name. A female soldier was dragging her away, even through the smaller girl was kicking and thrashing furiously. The small blonde bit the woman's arm, making her scream and drop the kid. Lucy rushed forwards; steadying Michelle, but the guard made a wild grab, fisting her cloak, but Michelle changed into a fierce mountain lion, scaring her off.

_ROAR! _

On the other side of the hall, Igneel and Natsu winced; the loud sound ringing in their powerful ears. _This is getting too crazy... _The king thought. He began pushing through the crowd, the guards moving once they saw who it was. The fighting quickly ceased, the only thing between Igneel and Natsu from the bandits was a few meters of space and air.

Lucy and her Spirits halted once the shouts stopped. The blonde held a man's arm in her hand; her boot grinding into his back. She put on a cold glare that could freeze Hell over, but it didn't unnerve Igneel.

"Spirit. Michelle. Could I ask you politely to come with me?" Igneel demanded. "I am sure we can sort this out peacefully." He liked to fight, don't get him wrong, but unnecessary fights were frowned upon.

"Peacefully," Lucy spat, pulling on her captive's arm tightly. The man yelped, and for a split-second, Igneel had to be impressed with her battle-slash-torture techniques. "Coming from you. Hilarious." _Oh well, I tried._

Igneel's body lit on fire, and Lucy's Spirits moved to protect her. They were blown aside easily, turning into golden sparks as they returned to the Spirit World.

Igneel roared, the sound as loud and as fierce as a Dragon's. The targeted girl knew she didn't have a chance, if any, but Lucy snarled, letting go of her prisoner, kicking the man out of the way while bringing out her knife, preparing for battle; but she was stopped by something large and dusty bowling the king over and tussling with him.

It was a furious, snapping, sandy-coloured mountain lion, better known as a Transformed Michelle. The giant cat was rolling around with the king, trying to pin him down to the floor. Igneel's fire was quickly burning off patches of fur, and quite obviously hurting her, but the cat pressed its full weight against the redhead and snapped at his head threateningly. Igneel growled, trying to push her off.

"Lucy! Go!" the cat roared, turning its head for a split second before she was engulfed in guards. They were trying to pull her off without getting burned, but dozen's of hands reached for her. Michelle tried to snap while keeping Igneel pinned; unfortunately, the distration allowed the king to throw her off. She reared, swatting anyone too close with her giant paws, but someone tackled her down in a bear-hug. Guards jumped on her back and her legs were tied together, making her trip and fall to the ground. Michelle tried to squirm, but a dozen hands subdued her; tying rope around limbs and muzzle, placing a Magic Dispel collar on her, turning her back to her normal, nine-year old self.

The girl tried to get up, but got pushed down by dozens of hands. She yelped, the dull thud hurting the terrible burn marks on her body, and her movements were getting slower.

Lucy watched, with a horrified expression, as her sister was enveloped in guards. Everyone seemed to be walking in molasses, but the bandit caught Michelle's blue-eyed gaze for a split second before her head slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Time seemed to stretch, seconds turned into years, and Lucy's vision turned cloudy. Something small and wet rolled down her cheek.

Her feet seemed to move by themselves; Lucy bolted down the corridor behind them, wrenching herself away from guards who grabbed onto her limbs. Everything was a blur, but she dimly remembered finding the staircase to her new, so-called 'home', and running up it, taking on the form of Lyra and crashing into the bed, pretending to be asleep.

She could barely contain her sobs as the guards peeked in, checking the area and her unmoving form before getting out and searching the rest of the castle. Lucy waited ten seconds before getting up, releasing the spell and finally breaking down in her bed, her imagination working furiously at creating horrifying situations her sister could be put through.

A few minutes later. "Lucy?"

The named girl looked up, still crying, even though she was shocked at the two presences at her door. A silver-haired female mage and a pink pyromaniac, looking at her from the entrance. It was Natsu who spoke.

"D-Don't call m-me that." She protested feebly. That was the name Michelle could only call her.

Lucy tried to wipe away the tears, it was instinctual, nobody should have seen her in a moment of weakness right then, but tears continued streaming down her face. She didn't want anyone seeing her tears, she was a loner, and would forever be one,

Except for Michelle... Lucy cried, covering her face with her hands. Michelle was with her the whole time. She could call her by her true name, and only she could see her tears. She didn't want the prince to see them, because it only served to remind her of Michelle, and how she wasn't courageous enough to save her. She simply froze in her tracts.

Lucy still wore her shredded black one piece, but she'd lost her knife and whip. But most of all, she'd lost Michelle. Water streamed down her face at the thought of it. "T-They're gonna k-kill her," she whimpered, bursting into tears.

Natsu frowned, not liking seeing the girl cry. Her clothes were shredded and her hair was dirty, but it was the tears that really got him. He couldn't imagine being in a situation like hers. He loved his little sister, he would do anything to protect her, but having her taken away violently like that... Something in his chest squeezed painfully.

Lisanna and Natsu moved in, sitting on the bed, but Lucy pushed the prince away feebly. "No..." she croaked, trying to cover her face. "Why is he even here?" Lucy whined, trying not to choke on her words.

"I told him," Lisanna told her softly. "He figured it out."

"When you were fighting, your scent, it was the same as Lyra's, and me and Lisanna met at the staircase." Natsu said, looking down. "I knew, so she told me the whole story."

Lucy shook her head. "They're gonna kill her," she repeated, oblivious to their words. "The Dragneel's are gonna kill her... _You're gonna kill her_..." she looked up, eyes fierce through the tears. She launched herself at Natsu, making them tumble over the bed. He yelped and Lucy punched him hard.

"This. Is. All. Your. Fault! Now. Michelle's. Gone!" she punched with each syllable, and finally, Natsu caught her wrist. Lucy wretched it away, breathing heavily, and Lisanna pulled her off the pink-haired man, whose eyes were wide with shock.

"It's all your fault..." Lucy whimpered, the fight escaping her like the air in a popped balloon, "you caught us that day... now Michelle's captured and they know that she tricked them... they're gonna kill her!" she cried desperately, almost screaming at Natsu. Lisanna's hands hovered by her arms, but she didn't speak.

Lucy's lip was quivering violently as she fought to keep the tears at bay. "It's your fault..." Finally, she gave away and collapsed in Lisanna's arms, bawling her eyes out. Natsu watched, saddened by the sight. Something in his chest twitched again.

Finally he spoke. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry... Because I know it's not going to be enough." He said quietly, standing up and walking quickly to the door. He opened it, and disappeared without a word.

* * *

**HAHA, I'M BAAACK! Whoop, Pikaskye is ****_in da house_****! My friend came over for a sleepover after we went camping, had sooo much fun. [S'MOREESSSSSS... *drools*] And we caught frogs with a little contraption I made with a branch, some string, a straw, and a paperclip. BOOYAH! I love my creative mind. I think I would definitely be closest to Levy in the 'what FT character are you' quiz. Actually, we're scarily similar... O.O" [Being smart, a bookworm, only our taste in guys is different. GaLe... *thinks hard* "WAYYY different."]**

**WE HAVE HIT 200 REVIEWS! God, I love you guys. Congrats Sofia3 for being the 200th reviewer!**

**Thank you so much, Otaku0610, 4Eva Dreaming, , Sofia3, SnowDragonSlayerTasha, Talia and MythandFairyTailLover, for helping me make it to 200 reviews! I am so sorry I cannot reply! **

**1FairyTailLover: CLIFFAYH! See, I'm an evil sadist of an author who loves making you guys scream and shout and cry at the computer. Cliffy's are the best way to do that. *nods head wisely* **  
**ElodieKumari94: Err... I don't really know... You can look it up on google or the FT wiki site. Minerva= beach slap! Yeah, I thought it would be cute. Wouln't it be awesome if I married Natsu to Flare, put Lucy and Michelle behind bars, and call it a day? Lol, jk. You want NaLu? I'LL GIVE YOU NALU!**  
**GoldenRoseTanya: Me: "What's onomatopoeia?", but then I remembered from English class. Yeah, I suppose. AND, otherwise, I don't care. a review is a review, Aye? **  
**AnnieBlackheart: Funner. My cousin always says that and I always correct her. FUNNER is not a word. Drives me insane. Me: ISS NO PROPER GRAMMAAR! **  
**PrettyKitty: *runs away screaming* Well, you've officially scared me off forever. No more chappies because you scared me away from computers. Lol jk, don't kill anyone... [especially me...] **

**Let's aim for the sky! 300!**


	21. Visitors

**Bad news. School is restarting. Please read A/N at the bottom. **

* * *

"What do we do with her?"

The Dragneel family was eating on their own, at the huge dining table in the second dining room. The girls and the Redfox's were in the first dining room, but today, the Dragneel family did not join them in an attempt to talk.

Natsu and Wendy picked at their plates, obviously bothered. The blue-haired girl was blinking frequently, trying to conceal tears but failing to keep them behind dry eyes. She was playing around with her salad miserably, blue bangs covering the top-half of her face. Natsu, on the opposite side of the table, was using a utensil.

Enough said.

"Attacking you is a criminal offense," Grandine pondered. She had noticed her children's downcast expressions, [she was most concerned about Natsu, actually using a fork,] but continued to speak. "But she is a little girl, it isn't like we can torture her."

"And there's also Spirit. She's still out there, and we know she certainly won't stand wherever she is and let her sister be killed." Igneel pondered.

"I vote we double the guards."

Natsu had spent the day with Meredy, who was nice enough. He was just tired from staring at the ceiling all night. Meredy didn't mind that he was lightly lagging and only laughed it off, calling it 'kinda cute'. If Natsu had been awake normally he would have replied, but, at that moment, his brain had decided it was the perfect moment to fall face-first to the floor, snoring away. It had taken a bucket of steaming hot water poured over him for the prince to wake up.

She still laughed it off. Natsu liked her, she was nice, and unnaturally bubbly, but it still didn't seem right.

Natsu poked at his barbeque chicken with his fork, listening intently to the conversation, anger rising like boiling water. He stood up abruptly.

"How do you talk like it's perfectly fine to kill a little girl!" Wendy and Natsu cried. They blinked and looked at each other owlishly, turning away quickly and sitting back in their seats.

"It's not right. You can't kill Michelle..." Wendy whimpered. "She's a nice girl who was just trying to protect someone she loved."

"That's right! Even if the Golden Spirit comes chasing after her again and again, it's wrong to kill a little girl." Natsu almost shouted. Unlike his sister, he wasn't afraid to throw his opinion out. He tried to keep his tone neutral, but was failing miserably.

The chair made a loud squeal as he stood up and left the room, the temperature rising considerably.

* * *

Natsu kicked the punching bag again when he heard the creaking sound of his door. He mentally sighed, knowing who it was. It happened every time.

"Come in, Wendy!" He barked, kicking the bag off its hook. His knuckles stung a little and his legs ached, but he wanted to feel the burn for being such a stupid idiot.

The sound of sniffling reached his ears. He blinked and spun around, locating his little sky-hair-coloured sister by the door, crying. He immediately stopped punching the bag and ran for her, sitting down on a bench and sitting her down on his lap. She was so tiny compared to him she fit.

"I don't want them to kill Michelle!" she bawled. "It's wrong to kill a little girl just for protecting someone she loved!" Natsu was surprised; usually Wendy came here after their parents had instructed her to check that the prince wasn't smashing Gray to the ground, usually to find Natsu beating the life out of a seven-hundred pound punching bag. Then, Natsu would leave, but today, Wendy was the one looking for reassurance.

"Michelle didn't want to fight; she had to, to protect Spirit!" Natsu pulled her closer, letting her sniffle and cry and snot into his vest. Wendy bawled until she ran out of tears to cry. Natsu hugged her closer.

"Look, we know that, and I won't let it happen. No matter what mom or dad says, I'm _not_ letting them kill a little girl." The brother looked down at the bluenette, eyes sharp but caring and sincere. Wendy looked up, orbs wide and wet.

"O-oka— Okay!" she said it with more enthusiasm than the first time, getting off him and wiping away her tears quickly, trying to put on a strong face. Natsu grinned, showing off all his canines.

* * *

A few hours later, it was announced that Flare, the creepy redhead that called him 'Salmon', was supposed to hang out with him. Now that Natsu was having second thoughts, he caught the Crazy Alert from her and decided that he wasn't going to marry her, him having a great time or not.

Natsu was lying on his bed, in his room. It was late, and after his little floor-nap, he didn't feel tired. He found himself glancing at the clock and door, but shook his head, trying to dispel those thoughts.

Michelle wasn't coming.

She was captured, likely with five-or-so guards standing by her cell while she slept. He'd noticed the bags under her eyes and her balance wasn't quite right, signs that she wasn't getting much sleep or the chance to recuperate Magic, but now she got to sleep, at least.

_Those guards better let her sleep_. Natsu thought threateningly. He blinked, surprised at his protectiveness. His thoughts ran wild in his head.

Michelle and Lucy are bandits, he shouldn't be helping them! A prince shouldn't be helping break two thieves out of prison, it was wrong!

_So why are you fighting with them?_

He froze. He didn't know the answer to that. Suddenly, there was a knock on his door.

"Yes?" he asked, looking over. Grandine opened the door.

"May I come in?" Always ask a Dragon to go inside their territory before you cross it. Natsu was surprised because she rarely came up here, but stood up and let her in, pushing away the garbage that littered the floor.

Grandine sat on the bed, making the old thing creak. The sheets and mattress he'd had since he was nine, they hadn't changed and personally Natsu liked the old smell. Nothingless, they were probably getting too hole-y and moth-eaten so he had to change them soon.

"Wendy and you exited dinner abruptly." She started, letting the words sink in. Natsu swallowed, knowing where this was going.

"Your father and I find it very strange that, when we told you we were holding this competition for you to get married, you sat and, while you simply picked at your food, you didn't leave until after you were excused. Meanwhile, we talk about this girl, who attacked your father I might add, you stomp out of the room after saying your part.

"Wendy, I can understand, she was close to Michelle and she always had been a bit softer than you, but you, other than the fact of capturing her and her sister, have no attachments to her?"

_Yes._ "No. I don't. I just find it stupid, that even if Mi— the bandit attacked my dad, she did it because she was protecting someone she loved." Natsu told her. "What if the roles were reversed? What's the Dragneel code of honor? _Protect what is dear to you with your life,_" he quoted loudly. "Isn't that exactly what she did? She knew that she could die doing that and yet she did it anyway? She get burned terribly, had probably got bruises from how tight the ropes tying her were, and still, she did it, knowing the consequences!" He was almost shouting at her by now, so he sat on the bed, looking away from her stubbornly.

"I suppose so." She got up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her without another word. Natsu collapsed on the bed, holding his head and groaning.

* * *

Lucy stayed in her room the whole day, not even going downstairs to eat. The rumble in her stomach was loud, but not as loud as the silent cry for Michelle.

_Did that even make sense?_ Lucy ignored the thought, turning back to her self-hating pity. Michelle was down there, alone and terrified... and it was her fault. She could have saved her, somehow.

Lucy's eyes grew wet, and she rolled over, pressing her face into her pillows in an attempt to not show her tears to the empty room.

_Knock knock knock_. "Luc—Lyra?" The girl looked up, recognizing the voice.

"Come in," she croaked. Lisanna opened the door with a metal platter of food.

"I didn't see you at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so I brought some food up." she told her, smiling sadly. Lucy shook her head.

"I already ate." She lied. "I'm not hungry."

The Take-Over mage rolled her eyes, coming in and closing the door with her foot. "Right. Lucy, I know you haven't eaten. Nice try. You have to eat something eventually."

"And I'll go down when I'm hungry." She snapped, then added, "And don't call me Lucy right now." Her head thudded back into the mattress. Lucy was Michelle's name for her. No one else's.

"Okay... But still, you have to eat." Lisanna scolded. She held out a warm piece of buttered toast and just the smell of it made the bandit hungry. But she didn't want any food made by the Dragneel's.

She pushed it away. "I told you, I'm not hungry." Lisanna pulled away, looking downcast. Lucy frowned and picked herself up.

Suddenly she realized how rude she was acting to her best friend "Sorry," she muttered. "I'm acting like a jerk."

"It's not your fault. I don't blame you." Lisanna smiled, trying to make it bright. "We'll get her out."

* * *

"Hey, prisoner!" The loud sound of banging woke Michelle up. She got up on her hands and knees, looking up at the cruel guard at the bars.

"Food, eat." He practically threw the platter at her, making the metal plate screech and the little girl wince. She reached for it, but the chain worn around her wrist caught on something and she was violently pulled back. The guard snickered, not bothering to help. The other guards seemed unsure about the way he was treating her, but didn't speak up.

Michelle yanked the chain from the catch, making her burns hurt, but her fingers managed to skim the tray. She pulled it closer to her.

_...It, _[she didn't want to imagine the stuff they put in there,] was cold, and the guards forgot to put a utensil. Again.

The little girl ate the... mush, making a cup and eating with her left hand. Her whole right arm was unusable, bandaged up tightly from the burns.

Michelle had been healed, or at least with bandages and some Magic crap they put on her, but some were bad. The girl could only get up to go to the washroom with them.

_Tap tap tap_. Michelle looked up as a small blue-haired girl descended the stairs.

"Michelle!" the girl ran up to the bars, eying the state she was in. She was almost crying, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. She spun on the guards, suddenly angry.

"This is the way you treat my friend? Look at her! Get her some new clothes, her wounds are going to be infected! Look at her dirty she is too!" Wendy snapped, very unlike herself. She was nice and caring and gentle, unless you messed with her friends. "You haven't changed her bandages? At this rate, she's gonna get a fever and... _what the hell is she eating_?"

The cruel guard swallowed. "Mashed potatoes."

"Like hell! What type of potato makes a green colour like that? 'Kimme the keys." Wendy snapped. Finally, she calmed down, once the guards all rushed to get the things Wendy demanded, too shocked and scared to follow protocol.

She took the key and locked herself in with the smaller girl. "Hey." Wendy said softly, sitting across from Michelle, about a meter of space between them. The girl shrunk, pressing herself into the wall, even if it hurt.

"Can I check your injuries? I can heal them faster and I want to check if there's anything wrong with them. Wouldn't want them getting infected!" She said cheerily.

The younger girl hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should have trusted Wendy, but the kind twinkle in her eyes is what made her accept. "Yeah, sure." Michelle rasped.

Wendy frowned at her voice and asked, "Have they given you anything to drink?" Michelle shook her head. "I am going to kill those idiots." Wendy growled, wanting to use a stronger word, but not in front of the younger girl.

The bluenette took the casts and bandages off and checked the wounds. "I'm sorry for what dad did to you." She murmured, focusing on her work. Michelle blinked, pouting.

"It's not your fault..." She exhaled when a soft glow emitted from the Dragon Slayer's hands. That felt so good. Two of the four guards came down, carrying a basin of water, a cloth, some clothes, and some bandages.

"Unlock the door and leave them there, then leave. Tell no one to come down here." Wendy ordered, pointing at her feet. The guards let her out, put the objects in the cell, and left. The bluenette unlocked one of her cuffs, but not the other one.

"Sorry, I'm not allowed two." Michelle flicked her wrist, unable to rub it with her burnt hand.

"First, clean yourself off. Make sure there's no dirt on the wounds."

Twenty minutes later, Michelle was washed, so Wendy reapplied the bandages, making sure they were properly put on. The girl smiled, and Michelle got dressed. They were old, but cleaner than the last ones and definitely comfier. Wendy had to put the cuff back on, but this time gave her some room for blood flow. Michelle sighed.

"Thank you. So much." The smaller blonde beamed. The Dragon Slayer stood up and called for the guards.

"Unlock me and get her food. Proper food." the guard nodded, releasing Wendy from the cell, and soon came back with warm soup. The bluenette smiled watching Michelle practically devour it.

"Good?"

Michelle nodded. "good."

* * *

Gajeel Redfox was walking around the castle. That's how it all started.

Honestly, he was bored and there was nothing to do. His room was comfy and perfect for him to lounge around, but there was nothing to do _but_ lounging. He just hoped he didn't run up with one of those annoying girls he was being forced to marry.

The Iron Dragon Slayer walked, noting that nothing of this castle was eatable. It was all stone walls, which was fine, in his opinion, he didn't care, but he couldn't pick up a random burnt metal torch and eat it like at home.

His nose caught onto two new scents, right around the corner. He growled, turning on his heel to go another way. Gajeel didn't want to have to talk. He was the silent type unless you bugged him. And even then, he would just punch your face in with a metal rod and call it a day.

The Dragon Slayer walked past a new hallway and suddenly stopped when he passed the door. It smelled like burning. His eyes narrowed and he peered at the red door, leading to... well, he didn't know what was behind there.

There was a small, muffled sound coming from entrance, so quiet even _he_ could barely hear it. A woman walked around the corner and saw him inspecting the door. Her steps turned a fraction faster. Gajeel pulled back, not wanting to talk to the lady because _females were so damned annoying_.

"Hello, prince Gajeel." The man stiffened and turned around, not even putting on a smile for the lady. He scowled, showing off his fierce demeanor.

The woman seemed unfazed. "My name's Minerva. How do you fare?"

He growled. "Not bad." He rolled his eyes. Minerva scoffed, recognizing him as a stone-wall type of person, spinning around and turning back into the room. She slammed the door shut behind her.

For a second, he caught the burning smell again, and a little added fragrance. It was sweet. Gajeel didn't know what it was but shrugged, _whatever_, and continued walking.

* * *

**IM SO BOREDDDD... If you want to talk PM meee... We have bad news. School is starting Friday, [ya, I know, lol, wut?] meaning updates will be a tad slower. But I'll be typing ASAP, so please don't drop this story! I am not going to change to updating, like, once a month! [I find that so weird. Certain people just leave their story hanging for a long time, which I very much dislike. That just makes readers dislike you. I always find time to write, whether it's the whole chappy or a sentence, to write. But, that's probably because I'm a kid [13,] and it's summer. **

**Ha, if I don't write your full account or accidently misspell it, just ignore it. me being a lazy butthole because I can't type a few extra letters when I write 2,000 words a day... **

**AnnieBlackheart: LOL NOT NICE! lol, jk, here's your update!  
SnowDragonSlayerTasha: Ha, do you think I would kill Michelle? Yes, because I am a horrible author that likes to make you guys cry. *rolls eyes*  
1FairyTailLover: I made your day! *le gasp* aww, that's so sweet! *jumps around like a maniac*  
PrettyKitty: I cracked up on this review. I love your funny reviews. XD "WATCH YOUR BACK NATSU!" Yes, don't we all wish that Natsu would just kiss her senseless and they would both live happily ever after? [plus Michelle, can't forget about her!] Yes, but I am an evil author who makes you guys wait. I have plans for the NaLu, NEXT CHAPPY! look forward to it. *walks away laughing* "I am a TRO-ll, I am a TRO-ll!"  
GoldenRoseTanya: I'm usually good at spelling [ha, I'm my own spellcheck. XD] but this was my first attempts at... onomati... omom... onomatepida... *frustration marks... throws away laptop, screams* lol, jk.  
: I TOTALLY didn't get that... But, we do wish good luck on Natsu's journey to find true love!  
LunarMistress: "ONIONS? I happen to have an onion." *starts chasing Mistress with a knife and an onion in hand*  
BlossomsCherry: Thank ya'll. I know! I'm evillll... I decided to add a little help for our characters in the form of other characters! yay!**


	22. Drawing blanks and little voices

**This chapter was based on PrettyKitty's awesome review! here's some NaLu, Kitty! **

* * *

Natsu woke up the next day, feeling tired. Again.

Knock knock knock. The prince groaned, but rolled up on his feet and opened the door."Yes?" he asked sleepily.

It was the redhead, Flare. "Good morning, Salmon."

Natsu yawned. "Morning. Lemme just get some clothes on and... yeah." God he was tired. He felt the creeping of a migraine coming along too. Ha, ironic, the last time he'd had a headache...

He drew a blank. Had he ever had a headache?

This much be effects of all the crap I've been put through... Natsu thought, pulling on a nice red shirt and baggy beige trousers.

Flare let him put on clothes, waiting outside. She tilted her head when he came out, smiling softly. "You look good, Salmon." Natsu blinked but let it pass.

* * *

Natsu sat at the table, next to his sister and Sting, sighing. Sure, he had fun with the redhead named Flare, they had gone bungee jumping off the roofs of the tower with her Magical Hair tied around their ankles, and it was a thrill, but he was running on empty. He needed food and good news. And sleep.

Natsu breathed out as steaming hot plates were deposited in front of the Dragneel Redfox families. The prince only _just managed_ to hold himself back, especially when a waitress threw a match onto his ribs and lit them on fire.

Igneel stood up, and Natsu silently egged his speech to go fast. His stomach was growling and mouth practically drooled trying not to eat his food.

"Well, it seems as if we're almost at our half-way point! Tomorrow, the next girl shall spend the day with their respective prince's, but after that, we will be holding a ball, where everyone will be able to relax." Natsu deflated. He said _good news_ not _bad news_, didn't he? Natsu silently growled, listening to the words his father was saying.

"And for our last message, tomorrow, Lyra Heart, Kagura Mikazuchi, Taylor Swift, and Emerald Lee with spend the day with their respective princes."

Natsu deadpanned for a few long seconds. He _did_ say good news, didn't he! He wanted to rip his hair out in frustration, dance around like a maniac, jump out the window and go to a place where he'll never meet a female again. Any other girl, he could handle, but Lucy! He groaned. And this stupid ball thing...

The prince took a rib grudgingly and ate.

Lucy on the other side of the room froze with Igneel's words.

_She _was going to spend the whole day with _Natsu_?

She was doomed.

* * *

The next day, Natsu woke up early, surprisingly not up from the sound of knocking. He blinked and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, wondering where the hell whatever female he had to spend the day with wasn't here to disturb his sleep. Then he remembered.

"Awh... Lucy." He moaned but put on his clothes, plopping back onto the bed. If she wasn't gonna get him, he'd much rather stay here.

About an hour later, someone knocked on the door. It wasn't Lucy. In fact, it was the exact opposite.

"What are you still doing in your room?" Igneel demanded.

"Lu—Lyra isn't here yet."

"THEN GET YOUR FAT BUTT OVER THERE AND PICK HER UP!" he roared. Natsu bolted past him, running away with a cloud of dust behind him, terrified. Igneel snorted, folding his arms across his chest.

Natsu ran up the stairs and knocked the door, panting. He looked around. He believed this was the second-tallest spire in the castle, with the balcony and stuff.

If Igneel didn't see him with Lyra soon he was going to kill him. Natsu pressed his ear to the door and heard light breathing. He rolled his eyes, "I know you're awake!"

No response.

"Helloooo, it's Natsu, Luc— Spir— Lyra!"

No response.

"I could break down the door! It's my castle, I could easily do that!"

Still no response.

The prince snorted, put his whole leg on fire, and punched a giant hole in the door. Lucy was on the other side, glaring irritably at him, about to open the knob. "Thank you, so much, for busting a freakin hole in my door!" She yelled, hitting him on the head hard.

Natsu grinned sheepishly, noticing the bags under Spirit's eyes and the cranky mood. _How much sleep has she gotten since Michelle was captured? _Not much, he guessed. "We'll get it fixed." He told her.

"So, what 'cha wanna do?"

"I want you to go back into your room, leave me alone, while I ponder about the meaning of life." She said sarcastically. Natsu didn't catch the sarcasm.

"Seems fun! What do you have so far?" He said, practically jumping up and down. She rolled her eyes.

"The meaning of _my life_ is to hate you." She slammed the door on him, the wood a centimeter away from his nose. He climbed through the hole he made, annoying Lucy even more. She plopped down onto the bed, glaring at him.

"Isn't the meaning of life for you is to Live, not Survive? You told me that before." he asked. Lucy froze, turning around slowly.

_ She smiled, "There's always the difference of Living and Surviving, remember that, Pinky." He 'hey'ed in protest, 'it's salmon, not pink,' but she continued. "Surviving is doing what you need to do to continue on. Living is having fun and enjoying yourself while Surviving." She explained to him._

She let the words sink into her head. For a second, she could only let out a sting of gibberish. "I-I-I... uh, suppose so." She swallowed, turning back to staring at the ceiling, purposely not looking at Natsu.

_"—Some, I certainly can't face without using my Keys as a last resort. Like the Dragneel's or the particular yellow-haired mage Natsu told me about." Lucy explained. Lisanna seemed impressed. _

_ "Seems you're really thinking this—" her surprised expression turned into a grin. "I'm surprised you remembered something that Natsu said before." Lucy blinked, not getting the implication behind the words. _

_ "You remembered a very small detail that Prince Natsu told you." She explained further, rolling her eyes. Lucy's face turned crimson, veins popped above her head, and steam bellowed from her ears. _

_ "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She shouted, throwing her shoe._

Lucy couldn't help but let the thoughts run wild in her head. She huffed and sat up, putting on her Lyra disguise and brushing past the prince. "Where you going?" he asked.

"To get breakfast. I'm hungry." She snapped, unusually sensitive.

"Well, uh, I haven't had breakfast either, what about we go get it together?" It was late, 11:30, so both slept through the breakfast dinner this morning.

"Whatever." Natsu and Lucy walked through the halls, going to the main dining room. They had to pass the Grand Room, and Lucy gave a longing glance at the staircase leading below before walking past it. Her head hung low.

"We'll get her out." Natsu murmured, his breath hot on her ear. Lucy turned a hundred shades or red in a few short seconds, walking faster to give her some space. Natsu blinked, but stayed a meter behind her.

Lucy sat down at her usual seat, and Natsu sat down next to her. She stared at him irritably. "Aren't you supposed to be over there?" she asked snootily, pointing to the head table where all the royalties sat. Natsu shook his head.

"No, I'm allowed to sit wherever I want, I just sit there because I don't want to be flocked by dozens of adorning... females." He wrinkled his nose. "But no one's here so I can sit next to you!" He grinned, and Lucy looked away, biting her lip hard to shut herself up.

She'd have to tolerate him for the day. _Tolerate_. Lucy inwardly growled but stood up and walked to the plate table, where there was leftovers put on a large counter. Natsu followed behind her, and they collected two plates of food, Natsu's significantly taller than Lucy's.

They ate, in silence, only muttering a 'could you pass the ketchup," once. Lucy kept her eyes trained on her fork, eating scrambled eggs robotically. She was deep in thought.

_"We'll get her out."_ He'd said. What did that mean? He wasn't on their side, in fact, he should have been telling Igneel about everything in the first place! He was a damned prince, he wasn't supposed to be teaming up with the bandits!

They finished around the same time. 'So, now what do you want to do?" the prince asked. Lucy grabbed his ear and dragged him across the hall.

"Where's your room?" she demanded. He weakly pointed down a hallway and Lucy dragged him all the way there, opening the door and rudely depositing him on a stack of dirty laundry sitting there since he was eleven. "What did you mean by 'we'll get her out?" she crossed her arms across her sizable chest. Natsu held his stinging ear.

"I meant it. We will get Michelle out." He said slowly, not getting how she could misunderstand his words.

Lucy paced around the small area that was fairly clean, walking back and forth. Suddenly she spun on him. "Why?" she demanded.

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping us?"

He drew yet another blank. He was tired of them. Why was he helping them? Why did he break the bandit out in the first place? Why did he have the feeling that if he betrayed them, he would so deeply regret it?

"Too many whys!" He shouted, holding his head. Lucy blinked, but leaned in.

"Fine, you don't have an answer. Whose side are you on, at least?"

He thought for a moment. "I can't say my dad's at this point. Yours."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't expect you to directly break my s-sister—" her words caught in her throat for a second, "out, but you can come in handy, I suppose." She didn't want to trust him, but somewhere, deep in the recesses of her mind, deep, deep, so far she hadn't seen it in years, was screaming, finally speaking up for itself.

_ 'You can trust him with your life!_' An emotion so buried underneath piles and piles of hate and disgust, this little thing, almost dead from misuse, was screaming as loud as it could. Lucy held her head, sitting on the old thing Natsu called his bed. She groaned and held her face in her hands. She wanted the little voice to shut up. Every one of her bandit's instincts was trying to shout over it, but the little thing wouldn't _shut the hell up_.

She would never trust her life in anyone's hands. Anyone's, except Michelle. The little voice hummed in satisfaction.

_Close, but not quite_. It said. Suddenly, the voices in the background cleared. _It's the same, and yet different. You're close though._

Lucy shook her head, making the voice quiet and burying it behind her instincts again. She didn't like that little voice. Her instincts, which were usually pretty good, were telling her she would be hurt if she listened to the little voice.

"—ucy?"

The bandit looked up at Natsu, who had a concerned expression on his face. "You okay?"

She stood up. "Yeah... yeah! Yep, yeppity-yep-yep! Perfectly fine, never felt better!" She cried, a little too eagerly. Natsu winced but grinned.

"_Right_." He rolled his eyes and Lucy scowled. "So, seriously, what you wanna do?"

"Seriously, I wish I could bust outta here with Michelle, and travel far, far away where I'll never hear the name Dragneel again," she replied with her own sarcastic beam. Natsu 'hey'-ed and started chasing her around the room.

Lucy leaped over the headrest on the bed, rolling on the mattress and landing on her feet. Natsu jumped on, making the bed creak dangerously. Lucy held her hands out, looking down, and Natsu leaped forwards, catching her around the waist and dragging her down with him, laughing. Lucy couldn't help but giggle, but now she was pinned down by the boy. She flushed, but Natsu didn't seem to notice their awkward position.

There was a knock on the door, and Lucy instinctively changed into her Lyra disguise a split second before Igneel opened it, looking inside. Lucy and Natsu looked at him, the bandit's hands pinned over her head by the prince's hands and her shirt, embarrassingly, hiked up a bit.

Lucy flushed, wrenching her hands away and fixing her shirt. "It's not what it looks like!" She shouted at Igneel's grinning face.

"I'll just leave you two alone." His head slowly disappeared around the door and he shut it behind him, chuckling at the screams that came from the other side.

* * *

**HEY! Anyone notice a little ****_guest star_**** appearance? [ha, no, I don't listen to her songs anymore.]Read it again if you didn't! Well, either way, I got a haircut yesterday, and it's soo weird... My hair used to me a little longer than my shoulders, and SUPER thick, but now it's to my chin and a lot thinner. SOO WEIRD... AND, I wrote a buncha one-shot and multichaps on my profile page, PM me your favs and I'll be sure to type up everyone's favourite[s]!**

**SO MANY REVIEWS! I'm sorry, ElodieKumari94, Lunar Mistress, Axlorg89, Alycat63, TheGrammarQueen, SnowDragonSlayerTasha, AnnieBlackeart XD, Tawny, and Sofia3! **

**Hikari Yume: IT'S A SECRET! yes, I put plenty of NaLu in this chappy. *evil grin* I wanted to put some relationship, friendship, and siblingship in that chappy. Plus, just the added bonus of Gajeel smelling Levy  
Kiersten: well, trust me, there will be GaLe! Thank you! I wanna be an author when I grow up but I'm trying to develop my skills using fanfiction because I absolutely adore FT!  
Aitanna: GIMME MY STRAWBERRY CAKE! *turns into demon Erza.* GIMME CAKE!  
PRETTYKITTY: YES, I AM EVIL! don't haunt me, I give you NaLu, so everything's all right, right?! *runs away from an angry Kitty,* "DON'T HURT ME!" Yes, Natsu has better watch his back... OMG, you have Erza's phone number? could I have it? and spam Erza's cellphone until she hunts me down and bashes my head in for spamming her so much? 'Dem stupid guards. Wendy gave it to them, trust me. HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPPY! *holds puppy in front of face* "even a crazy person can't hurt a puppy..."**

**Ah, can't wait to write the Ball scene! More NaLu ensues, AND reviews help me get the chappy out faster! Please review, even if it's to say this story sucks! [which I hope it doesn't, I like making readers happy...] But please, review and tell me how good/bad this story is and give me pointers! **

**Rest, relax, and review!**


	23. The Ball

**I am sure you guys will love me... and then hate me this chappy**

* * *

Natsu sighed, looking at the outfit placed neatly on his bed. He had just finished the day with Lucy, and, thank the lord, no embarrassing [or painful] situations occurred after his dad came into his room. At first, he hadn't gotten what was wrong, so the golden-haired bandit wracked him on the head and explained to him, using as little details as possible. He swore he could still see the bump on his head.

The prince looked down at the clothing he was forced to wear. It was a grey and red outfit, with no sleeves, some black trousers, and a belt. The shirt had no sleeves, showing off his Dragneel mark on his right shoulder. It was a small dragon, and he'd had it ever since birth. It was always put on the right shoulder, and it was every Dragneel's right to display it proudly.

Natsu slipped the outfit on with little difficulty. Luckily, Grandine put in mind that he would be wearing the outfit for most of the night, making it loose and comfy. The prince wrapped his scarf around his neck as a guard knocked on his door.

"The ball is starting in an hour, Prince. I advise you to hurry." Natsu rolled his eyes but called to confirm. The guard shuffled away.

* * *

Lucy went into her room, closing the door shut behind her and collapsing into her bed. Despite herself, she didn't have a bad time spending the day with Natsu. They explored the castle and chat for a bit. Soon, it was going to be the Ball, but Lucy wasn't going. It was stupid and pointless for her to be there.

So, she decided to take a nap.

.

_Lucy stumbled around in the darkness. "Mom... Michelle! Lisanna, Mira, Elfman? Where are you guys?" She screamed. She was cold, so cold. _

_ Suddenly she could see. A brilliant light lit up the space, but Lucy couldn't see the ends of the room. It was endless, making the light pointless. Lucy looked down at the source, which was coming from her hands. It was a heart, covered in ice, floating a centimeter from her palms, glowing a soft silvery light. _

_ The bandit blinked and inspected it. The thing was cold but ever so fragile. It was beautiful too. So much so she wanted to lock it up forever to make sure nobody stole it or broke it._

_ Suddenly, she saw a shape running towards her. She blinked, peering at the figure in the darkness. She could only make out the details when the male figure came close. _

_ "Hey Luce. I'm here to help." He snatched her oh-so-delicate heart from her hands and proceeded to burn all the ice off. _

_ "No! Natsu, stop!" Lucy reached out, but the figure changed. Lucy swallowed a scream. _

_ It was her mother. But it was like she was paralysed in the last moments before her death. "You betrayed me Lucy..." she murmured, and the dream shattered._

* * *

Knock, knock, knock.

The bandit woke up in a cold sweat, the blankets on the floor, panting heavily. She took in a deep breath or two, trying to dispel the images from her mind.

Knock, knock, knock.

Great, so it wasn't her imagination...

Lucy groaned, hearing the knock on the door. "Yes?" she moaned, putting on her Lyra disguise. She stopped it when a silver-headed mage popped in, noticing the hole in her door that Lucy had covered with a dress to get her some privacy.

Lisanna noticed Lucy's drab clothes immediately. "Why are you wearing that to the ball?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips. The bandit looked over at her, still trying to push the memories of that dream away.

"What? These? I'm not going to the stupid ball. It's a waste of time." Lucy retorted. Lisanna marched up to the bed, wearing a shimmery white dress that seemed to sparkle with rainbow colours if the light was right. There was a slit on the side, showing off a creamy leg and the dress was strapless, showing off her pale shoulders.

"Lucy Heartfilia, you are going to that ball!" Lisanna rumbled loudly.

"Who are you, my mother?" Lucy snapped, rolling over to avoid the mage.

"Yes, I'm your guardian right now even if I am younger than you and I'm telling you, you are going to that ball." Lisanna ordered her, hauling her up onto her feet. Lucy glared irritably at her.

"I'm gonna be your Fairy Godmother," the white-haired mage told her, spinning on her heel to look in Lucy's clothes drawer. "And here I am with a dress." Lisanna held up the gorgeous black starry one that Lucy was looking at earlier. She squealed.

"You would look perfect in this dress!" Lisanna said, voice a tinge high pitched. Lucy rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest.

"But I'm not going to the ball, so I don't need a dress." The bandit told her. Lisanna growled. Yes, actually growled.

"Lucy Heartfilia, I will get you in this dress and to the ball, even if I have to drag you there."

Lucy smirked. "Bring it on, cat lady."

* * *

Lucy had severely underestimated Lisanna and her want for her to go to the damned ball. First, she'd stolen the bandit's Keys, then tied her up with her own whip, somehow gotten the dress on without shredding it, convinced Cancer to do Lucy's hair nicely, and brought her singlehandedly to the ball without letting the guards see that Lucy was going against her will.

"Ha, if you don't go, and stay," Lisanna warned, tying Lucy's belt around her waist under her dress and clipping her Key ring to it, "—at this ball and actually ask a _guy_, I'm not _necessarily_ saying Natsu, a guy _our age_, to dance, you'll never see these Keys again." The Take-Over mage looked down at the dancing girls and boys downstairs, preparing to descend the stairs and make an entrance. Lucy swallowed when she saw a fierce gleam in her eyes.

"Yes, ma-am..." Lucy grumbled.

Lisanna went down the stairs slowly, the heels making it harder to walk. Lucy's feet ached already, as Lisanna forced her into a pair of low heels, because she'd never actually worn them before. She wanted her boots back!

"Don't forget to smile!" Lisanna cried behind her cheerily. Lucy grumbled in response.

She waited a few seconds and was about to walk slowly down the stairs when, just her luck, a voice spoke up behind her.

"Hey, Lu— Lyra." She turned around slowly. It was Natsu, of all people. He was looking down at her attire; mouth opened slightly, his eyes wide. He snapped his jaw shut, [Lucy could hear the sharp _clac_ as he did so,] and looked back at her face. She was wearing the disguise of Lyra, but he seemed quite impressed.

"How did Lisanna manage to get you in _that_?" he laughed at the end of his words, and Lucy hit him. she meant for it to be hard, a possible punch, but strangely, her hands disobeyed and gave him a light tap on his shoulder. She pouted, which she _never_ did.

"She forced me." the bandit admitted quietly. _WHY DID I SAY THAT?_ Lucy felt the words slip off her tongue. She was supposed to be guarded and not confess anything! She felt like putty, soft and easily pushed around. And vulnerable, and it was such a foreign feeling that she found her face burning.

"I... uh... gotta go! L-Lisanna's waiting!" She rushed down the stairs as fast as possible in her heels, leaving Natsu wiping dust from his eyes.

* * *

Lisanna was around in the ballroom, flirting with some guys and having fun, but Lucy was on the other end, sitting in a comfy chair and insulting the Take-Over mage with every not-too-insulting insult she could think for her, bringing the bandit to the ball.

_She is such an idiot, I'm not going to ask any guy, young or old, for a stupid dance because I don't dance and I never will._ Lucy thought angrily. _I am going to stay here and sit until the thing is over and wkjhgwiytgnf..!_

Most of the guards were allowed free-time and bring one person to the ball. Lucy spotted Princess Wendy talking to a dark-haired boy about the same age as her, with a little tuft sticking on the top of his head who reminded her of Macao. Wendy was blushing, but trying to hide it by turning her head slightly while they talked together. A blue-haired man she didn't recognize was talking to Erza. A lot of the guards were wearing formal attire that wasn't their constant red or blue uniforms, walking around and chatting with the ladies in the marriage competition.

Lucy had a prickling sensation on her neck; but every time she spun around, it would vanish. It was unnerving her because she couldn't see whoever was watching her. A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Hello. How long have you been sitting there for, young lady?" She cocked her head to look at the person who spoke. It was a small, very small, Lucy thought amusedly, old man, with a bushy moustache and white hair, leaning on a cane.

"Awhile," she answered honestly, turning back to stare at the wall.

"May an old man sit and chat next to you lovely lady?" He asked.

"Sure, whatever." She didn't care, actually, she did a little, she was bored and this old grandpa was someone to talk to. He sat down.

"My name is Makarov, but everyone calls me Gramps." He told her. She fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Lyra."

"So, why are you in this competition?" Makarov asked, leaning back in the comfy chair.

Lucy almost struggled spitting it out. "To marry prince Dragneel." She said, putting on a warm, fake smile and looking at him. The man chuckled.

"Ah, young love these days." He sighed, and Lucy bit back what was about to be a slip. She caught her hand, which was inching towards her damned heels; similar to hitting two birds with one stone, getting rid of the old man and her shoe, but the consequences of doing that would be severe.

"So, do you think you'll win this competition?" he asked, amused. Lucy decided to answer honestly.

"No." _Because she didn't want to_. "Because there are a lot of pretty ladies here that are much more appealing to him rather than me." she said. This was hurting her pride, lying through her teeth like this. "I don't think the prince will choose me."

He hrmed thoughtfully, then whispered, "Look directly behind you, a tad to the right. Do it fast." Before she could retort, he egged, "Quickly!" So she did what the old man said.

She whipped her head around. She saw pink hair and focused on the face. She caught Natsu's gaze for a moment; instantly, when he noticed she was looking at her, he flushed a bright red and turned back to his plate, stacked high with food. Happy the blue horse was behind him, freshly groomed, and whispered something in his ear. Lucy saw the rolling of the tongue, but couldn't make out what he said. Natsu turned even redder, if possible.

_Why was he staring at me? _She thought angrily, about to stand up and stomp over to the prince, screaming 'pervert' and whacking him repetitively with her shoe. The man chuckled, and Lucy whipped her head around to face him.

"Not a chance, huh?" Makarov grinned. "I'm a friend of the Dragneel family. I've talked with all the girls, and despite you wearing that ridiculous disguise for some reason, I think you'll have the best chance." Lucy's jaw went slack. "Don't worry, I won't tell. You obviously have your reasons, and yet your prince doesn't seem to have a problem with it." He stood up, looking at the younger girl, who was shell-shocked into silence.

"Have a nice day." He walked off, and Lucy scrambled to her feet to find this mysterious man, but he disappeared into the crowd, and Lucy could no longer find him.

Lucy shuffled through the crowd, looking for the shockingly short man, wondering, one, how the hell did he know she was using Transformation Magic, and two, why did he think that she, of all people think she was good with Natsu. She hated him, for god's sake!

Suddenly, she bumped into someone, and she, on her unbalanced heels, fell to the ground. She '_ouffed_' and looked up, surprised.

"Hey Lyra." Natsu greeted, holding out a hand. It was only from his tan that she didn't see the strong blush on his face. He could certainly feel it, but he held out his hand anyways, trying to look normal.

She swatted it away, getting up herself. She inspected his face for any sign of... embarrassment that she caught him staring. Lucy huffed and gave up. Stupid Natsu. "Hi."

"So, what are you looking for?" He asked, out of politeness. [Oh, who was he kidding, he knew she was looking for The Old Man.]

She didn't want to mention her meeting with Makarov, and she didn't think he noticed the elderly man because he practically disappeared in the chair he was previously sitting on. "Food. I'm hungry." She replied hastily.

Natsu inwardly grinned. _I caught her lying to me! _"Well, it's on the other end of the room," he said, pointing over to the described area.

Lucy caught the jealous looks around her from other females. She blushed, only noticing now of her predicament. She didn't want a dozen jealous girls after her, so she tried to pull away. "Yeah, thanks!" She exclaimed with false cheeriness, turning around to go to the buffet table.

Natsu followed her. The bandit inwardly deadpanned, but let him tag along. They got their food, and Lucy went to return to her set, but Natsu stopped her. "Not there. Come with me." he said, a large grin on his face. "It'll be quieter."

Lucy, dumbfounded, found her evil, traitorous feet following him, pushing through the crowd and chasing a bobbing head of pink hair.

A few minutes later, they were standing on a large balcony. Natsu locked the doors from the outside, so Lucy could take off her disguise.

The balcony's layout was simple; a single iron/glass table, two chairs, a potted plant, but when Lucy looked forwards, she gasped.

It was the perfect timing; the sky was painted orange, the sun disappearing over the horizon. Distant clouds were a soft baby blue, but the ones closer to the ground were pink and lavender and orange. It was a beautiful sunset, that was warm and relaxing. It was gorgeous.

"Lucy... Luce!" she snapped out of her daze, taking a seat next to Natsu.

"Wait a sec, what did you just call me?" she demanded, glaring at the pyromaniac.

"Sorry. I meant Spirit." He sighed, getting tired of it. The name 'Spirit' didn't feel right. Lucy noticed his downcast expression and asked about it.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, frowning.

"It's your name!" he burst out, surprising her. "Spirit doesn't feel right!" he growled.

"Then call me Lucy." She told him. Natsu blinked, looking up at her. "It's not a big deal."

_ "So, what's your real name?" Natsu asked, swinging himself on the horse too, behind the Golden Spirit and Michelle. Lucy was in front, Michelle sandwiched between them, and Natsu in back._

_ Lucy decided to give up hiding it. "My real name is Lucy. It's Spirit to you. Only Michelle calls me Lucy."_

_ Natsu recoiled at her snappiness, but called to Happy, "come on Happy! Max Speed to the castle!"_

"Didn't seem like 'no big deal' then..." he muttered. Lucy stared at him oddly.

"What?"

"Nothing." Well, he was happy he could stop with the 'Spirit' stuff. Spirit was the cold bandit, but Lucy was... someone else entirely. He felt as if Lucy and Spirit were two different people, and now he should call her 'Lucy.'

He just confused himself, but that was what his brain was telling him. So don't ask.

"Okay, Lucy." He liked that he could say it without the fear of getting hit with a shoe. "What 'cha wanna talk about?" he asked. Natsu just happened to notice how the setting sun made her golden hair shine; he shook the thoughts away violently.

"You are a weirdo." The bandit stated dully, staring at him shake his head like he had tics or something. He looked up at her sheepishly.

"Naw, it's nothing, but if anything, you're the weirdo." He said. "You're the bandit."

Lucy nearly burst out laughing. "You have pink hair."

"It's not pink, it's salmon!" he growled playfully. She giggled, but shut herself up.

_God, I feel... loose._ Lucy thought, ducking her head. _Carefree, not how I should be. I'm acting weird; I'm freakin giggling for God's sake... _Even so, she couldn't stop herself from saying a sarcastic remark. "Right."

"And, you used to live in the middle of a forest!" He cried. "You are obviously the bigger weirdo."

"Uh, says the man with the blue horse who likes to eat fish, lives in a castle, has supreme Dragon fire powers, enjoys flaming, quite literally, barbeque... I could add a lot more to that list. Oh, yeah, trusts a bandit and teams up with her to break her sister out of prison..."

The rest of her words were said on deaf ears, as soon as she said 'Trust.' Natsu blinked, realizing the answer to all of his problems, all those little blanks that he couldn't answer for these last two weeks.

'Trust.' Natsu trusted Lucy, probably more than he should, but he would put his full faith in her. The prince swallowed, taking in the new information. His throat went dry.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, noticing the dull expression on the pink-haired boy's face.

"Uh, yeah?" he murmured. Lucy waved a hand in front of his face.

"Yeah!" He looked up, beaming widely. Lucy leaned back, slightly worried for him.

"Are you okay? You spaced out a little there." She told him. Suddenly he noticed her wide chocolate eyes, her smooth lips, her curvaceous figure, and how she was staring at him with a gaze full of concern. He swallowed.

Lucy stared at him. That wide smile seemed false to her. Lucy pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. She pulled back quickly, yelping. Natsu stood up.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, looking at her hand.

"Damn! You're hot! I was checking if you were sick!" she yelled at him. "but your skin is boiling!" She flicked her wrist repetitively.

Natsu sat down. "Are you okay?" he asked concernedly. It technically was his fault that she was hurt. Lucy nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just stings a little." She admitted, looking up at him. The sun had gone down all the way, the bare minimum light just disappearing over the horizon.

"Here, 'lemme see." He said, pulling her hand towards him. The move was unexpected and Lucy pulled away fast, blushing in the darkness.

"Err... sorry." She put her hand back into his. Natsu lit his other on fire so he could see.

"It's fine." He told her. Lucy pulled back, but was disappointed when the warmth faded too. She wanted it again.

The two looked down, blushing. There was a long, awkward silence, but they looked up and caught each other's gaze.

Natsu and Lucy found themselves leaning forwards, lips landing softly on one another's. Neither knew what was happening, but it felt really good. Sparks seemingly flew around them and they melted into the soft, sweet kiss. Natsu's hand lifted itself up and caressed her cheek, and Lucy's tangled in his hair.

Soon, they had to pull away. Both were breathing a tad bit faster than they normally would, a dazzling bright blush across their cheeks, bright enough to see in the darkness.

Lucy's eyes widened. "Natsu..." Flashes of the dream she had appeared in her mind. _Her dead mother, saying she was a traitor. Natsu, taking her heart and melting the ice that had formed on it. "I'm a friend of the Dragneel family. I've talked with all the girls, and despite you wearing that ridiculous disguise for some reason, I think you'll have the best chance."_ Lucy shook her head, mouth pressed tight together.

"I-I... can't..." She bit her lip, but was overwhelmed with self-hatred and sadness. She stared back at Natsu, who was looking back at her with wide onyx eyes. Lucy stood abruptly, turning her face so the prince couldn't see the tears that had started to fall down her face.

"Lucy?" She ran to the doors leading to the castle, opening them a fraction and slipping through without another word.

"Hey Lyra, I was just about to look for y-you..." Lisanna started saying, but noticed the bandit crying. Lucy left her behind, bursting into a run and shielding her face with her bangs, crying but not caring as she ran up to her room, slamming the door behind her.

_Mother, what have I done?_

* * *

**Do you hate me yet? I told you guys would! I'm sorry if the kiss wasn't... absolutely fantastic. I'm only 13, and I haven't had my first kiss! *runs away from a mob of crazy fans* "HELPPPP MEEEEE!" **

**Cool story; My first multichap [and first story in general,] got 36 reviews since now. [And now I realize that's a pretty crappy number, despite being my first try...] Well, in one review, I will be exactly 200 reviews away from my first story! Isn't that awesome! [Yeah, you guys probably don't care cuz you're too angry at me...]**

**Replies! So many! I was about to post yesterday night, but I deleted them all and there was no time to redo them! I'm sorry I may have combined your replies, some were very identical. [People, you may have twins on the other side of the world... XD ]**

Rose, Sofia3, and 1FairyTailLover: Yep, you both got it right!  
PrettyKitty: You are absolutely insane. "STOP CHASING ME!" I give you kitties, no? *diguises as kitty vendor, gets Exceeds outta nowhere* "here you go! you have kitty after kitty!"  
AlyCat, GoldenRoseTanya and SnowDragonSlayerTasha: Here's your chappy!  
JazzinAces: yes, there will be, and I'm trying to introduce them to this story ASAP. I'm not gonna tell you who though!  
Hikari: Although, he 'only' came because Michelle whooped him on the head with a shoe... right, who are we kidding! ;3  
Axlorg: yeah, you just HAPPENED to come in at all the right moments to give us a laugh... *grins deviously*  
Annie Blackheart: STOP DISRACTING MEEEEEE!  
hikari: Thank ya'll!  
Aitanna: CAKE! I'm happy now. *sits down, starts eating with fork that came outta nowhere* "IZ GOOB!"

**REVIEW? **


	24. Heavy hearts

**You guys get to make the decision next chappy! Natsu or Lisanna? I'm not spoiling!**

**There's a new poll on my page, seeing what story you want me to type up next [written on my profile.] Summer I can keep up two multichaps for a bit but with school and all that I'll do one at a time. After TC is done, I'll take your votes and go onto the next multichap, and everyone's favourite one-shot I'll type up. Please go on my profile and vote!**

* * *

Gajeel walked through the castle, hands shoved in his pockets. He was immensely bored. There was nothing to do here but sit and think. He wanted to talk to PantherLily, but he was currently back at the Redfox castle, probably munching on some kiwis. Gajeel snorted and turned the corner.

The Iron Dragon Slayer didn't want to go to that damned ball. It was stupid, and just an excuse for the princes to get swamped by forty-something girls while trying to eat food. Barely ten minutes after he had arrived, he'd left.

He walked a little before coming to a stop. He eyed the red door beside him. He hadn't realized he passed that damned crimson door again, and curiosity was taking over. The Iron Dragon Slayer knew that beachy girl was probably sleeping in there and he was likely to get beach-slapped by that particular beach, [**A/N I'm laughing for some odd reason XD.**] if he stepped inside, but when he sniffed the door curiously he caught that same scent again. It smelled like burning, and sweets, but this time, inspecting it closer, he smelled a tinge of blood. [Ketchup!]

He growled and opened the door, wondering if someone hurt themselves and it was only a paper cut or someone was murdered in there. That sweet smell was driving him crazy too.

Gajeel looked inside, and for the first time in his life, he was stunned speechless. There was a tiny blue-haired girl lying on the floor, unconscious, her hair flopping over half of her face. Her hands were tugging around a large metal collar around her neck loosely; Gajeel noticed there were small burn marks on the skin there.

He quietly growled and poked the girl awake. She shifted and slowly, her eyes opened to look at him sleepily. Then, she realized she was staring at a guy, in front of her face, and she opened her mouth to scream. The Iron Dragon Slayer clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Look, Shrimp, I don't know your name but what the hell is this thing?" he asked, gesturing to the collar. This was the sweet scent he'd caught onto and now he was mentally calling himself a pervert for crushing on a girl's smell.

"I-I'm Levy. Please help me." the collar buzzed lightly but still Levy had to bite her lip hard to stop herself from yelping. Gajeel looked at the contraption, wrinkling his nose. It was made of high-quality steel, a kind that was hard to break or mold by normal people.

But he wasn't normal, now was he?

"Did that black-haired lady put this thing on you?" she nodded, tears in her eyes. "I'm an Iron Dragon Slayer, I can get that off... but... uh..." he found his fingers tapping his knee nervously. The mighty Gajeel was never nervous, he was a stone wall, but for some reason when it came to this girl he was mentally running all around.

"I'll need to eat it off." He pressed his two fingers together. "Prying it off could cause damage. I'll... uh..."

"Just do it." the petite girl cried quietly. "Please get this collar off, I don't care how." Gajeel huffed, steeling his nerves and leaning forwards. Being careful of the girl's neck he chomped on the easy-to-bite metal, chewing it quietly before going in for another. He didn't want to admit it, but the scent, yes, of burning, was stronger here, but also that damned sweet smell.

Gajeel mentally berated himself and continued his work. The collar sparked, letting off little noises and the midnight-haired man winced. With one part of the donut eaten he pried the rest off with his hands. It made a loud squeaking noise, making the girl wince.

Gajeel rolled his eyes. The Iron Dragon Slayer took the Shrimp's hand, practically throwing her onto her feet and led her outside, taking her to the infirmary and to alert the guards of the lady's evil habits.

* * *

Lucy sobbed into her pillow as her door slammed open.

"What. The hell. Happened? I. Am going. To kill. Natsu's ass. For making. You cry." Lisanna growled, sitting next to the crying bandit, picking her up and sitting the blonde on her lap. Lucy fisted her dress, feeling bad about ruining the pretty thing but she couldn't come to care when she thought about her betrayal.

She kissed the man who killed her mother. She felt horrible, like someone was squeezing her insides out and she just want it to stop. Tears continued to fall down her face.

"Lucy... what happened?" Lisanna asked softly, picking the limp bandit up gently and rubbing her back. She put her belt on the bandit's side table with her free hand. Lucy hiccupped, digging her face into the Take-Over mage's shoulder.

"T-There was th-this old m-ma-man, and h-he knew I-I was... wearing a d-disguise, but h-he disappeared, and th-then..! I cr-crashed into N-N-Na-tsu... we got food, but he br-brought me to the balcony, and then w-we were k-k-kis-issing!" She wrapped her arms around Lisanna tightly, almost forcing air over the silver-haired girl's lungs.

"Why are you crying? That's great!" Lisanna exclaimed. Lucy bawled harder.

"He killed my mother, remember!" she yelled. Lisanna froze, then looked down at the floor, frowning.

"Right..." _how could she have forgotten that..._ "But Lucy, some things are destined to happen. I'm sure your mother is proud that you've fallen in love." Lucy stiffened, pulling away fast.

"Get out." she glared at her murderously, tears still remaining in the corners of her eyes. The Take-Over mage looked wide-eyed at her.

"You can't put w-words into my mother's mouth." She snapped, trying not to choke on her words. "And I haven't fallen in love." She felt ice creep up her heart again, shielding her from hurt. It felt good.

Lisanna stood up, registering the scary demeanor of the bandit. She swallowed, moving to the door.

"I'm not trying to put words in your mother's mouth, Lucy, I—" she ducked behind the door, hearing the loud bang as a heel was thrown at her head. She sighed, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, and walked downstairs.

Lucy, on the other side of the door, yelled, "I don't need your help anymore!" She collapsed into the bed, crying to herself in the peace and quiet. The bandit didn't want to be the soft, sensitive Lucy anymore. She was Spirit, the cold, uncaring bandit who crept around in the dead of the night who didn't suffer from heartbreak and accepted her mother was simply a dead corpse, lying under the ground. Nothing else. Not an attachment, and not leverage that could be used against her.

Spirit wiped her tears away, deciding that she was going to break Michelle out again tonight, and this time she was going to escape. Alone, with no help from stupid Lisanna or the damned stupid prince.

* * *

Gajeel tugged the girl along, her size dwarfing hers and making it easy to drag Levy with him. "Where are you taking me?" she asked timidly. He rolled his eyes.

"To the infirmary. You need those burns checked, don't you?" the tiny girl swallowed but followed along. Gajeel knew the layout of the Dragneel castle well already; he'd spend much of his time walking around. When he saw a pair of guards walking around, he stomped up to them. The guards bowed.

"Prince Gajeel."

He rolled his eyes. "Look, there's this creepy beach lady that kidnapped this girl and I'm busy bringing her to the infirmary."

Levy piped up quietly. "Minerva."

He turned to look at her. "What?"

"Her name is Minerva. Minerva Orland of the Orland Kingdom. She wanted to marry Natsu to steal the Dragneel's land and give all its supplies to the Orland Kingdom and leave it in poverty. Then she would divorce, leaving the bond be, and steal supplies until the Dragneel's went bankrupt." She said quietly, looking at her feet. Gajeel narrowed his eyes.

"You heard her!" he barked. "go get Lord Igneel and my father and deal with it!" the two guards scrambled to do what he said, running down different hallways. Gajeel led the tiny girl to the infirmary.

* * *

Lisanna was worried.

It was several hours after she'd escaped Lucy's room, but she was incredibly worried for her bandit friend. _Who knows what she'll do in her anger?_ Lisanna thought, digging her chin further into her pillow, orbs downcast. Her eyes widened.

_She wouldn't..._

Lucy wouldn't be trying to break Michelle out? Lisanna swallowed, glancing at the clock. It was 11:47. Late. Late enough that a bandit could sneak around easily...

The girl stood up, getting into comfortable clothing and shoes before bolting out the door. The Take-Over mage checked her room, breath hitching when she saw the room empty.

She couldn't ask for Natsu's help...

_Oh, screw Lucy's temper tantrum, her life is more important than a hissy fit right now_! A small, mean voice cried from the back of her mind. At this point, Lisanna knew where Lucy was going right now, and it wasn't good.

Lisanna ran to Natsu's room, throwing the door open and shaking the pink-haired dolt awake. She dodged the flaming fist aimed at her head. "Lucy's gone!" she shouted. Natsu blinked sleepily but he looked more alert. Of course, the stubborn prince rolled away from Lisanna. Hearing her name was like a sucker-punch to the gut.

He hadn't known why he leaned forwards, but it seemed just as much her fault as it was his. At that point, he didn't care though, because the only thing that mattered was that moment. It felt freakin amazing, like he could fly above the clouds and beyond, like he could do anything. He knew, just knew then that Lucy was he one for him.

Sure, she was cold at first and hated him, but she was passionate and kind and never would give up. She wouldn't leave her sister behind after all that crap thrown at her. She lived her life to the fullest, even living in a forest and taking care of a little girl. And what was he?

A stupid spoiled prince.

Maybe Lucy was right.

She pulled away. _"I-I... can't..."_ those words echoed through his mind again. He scowled but he turned downcast. She'd run away from him. She didn't want that kiss.

"And? Spirit was clear that she didn't want to work with me. I'll respect her wishes." he snapped, voice muffled in the pillow.

"Natsu! This is not the time to be holding grudges! Fix the crap between you later! Lucy's gone to break Michelle out alone again!" she shouted, trying to roll him over out the bed.

"No." The prince growled, forcing himself to stay in the same spot.

"YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SNIFF HER OUT!" Lisanna screamed, tears in her eyes. "And you're being such a jerk because SHE REJECTED YOU!" Natsu rolled over, and Lisanna flinched from the hard stare he gave her. He spoke quietly.

"I know. I don't deserve her." Lisanna's mouth opened as she stared wide-eyed at the pyromaniac.

"Wh-What?"

"Don't make me say it twice." He growled. "Lucy doesn't want me around her, fine, so be it, I'll stay away from her." he rolled over.

"You are such an idiot." She said to his back. "you, Natsu Dragneel, are giving up a girl? I have never even seen you give up, and you are an idiot because Lucy is out there and we are sure in hell that she will get captured if you stay here and give up!"

Lisanna noticed his chest had stopped moving, like he was listening intently to her words. "You will have absolutely no chance with Lucy if you leave her behind, so get off your fat ass and help her!" She snapped. "I have never seen you give up and now is definitely not the time to start!"

"She wouldn't want me to." He said quietly, almost a whisper.

"And I'm sure she'll be begging for our help when her head's about to be chopped off!" Lisanna finally managed to roll his body over so he faced her.

"Natsu... You've always been there to help me and help me help a friend. Lucy or not, she's still our friend." She told him. Natsu blinked slowly, looking down.

"you're right. I'm being a terrible friend. Where's she now?" he asked, the word 'friend' making his heart squeeze. Lisanna shrugged.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing she's down by the Grand Room by now.

* * *

** ARG, Sorry for not updating for so long! I just have this massive BRICK of writers block and headache fighting in my head and it was first day of school yesterday... *groans* Did I mention I guy ASKED ME OUT? yeah, I know, ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Awsh, so damned tired... my alarm clock doesn't get the point of the weekend and sleeping in either... woke me up too early! Sorry for the late update; I'm sure if I posted the crap I've been writing before you all would have dropped the story. 8{ I'm thinking about changing the rating to T. Cause there is a little amount of swearing and a little ketchup [kiddies, it's all ketchup and corn starch!] and I'm just paranoid.**

**Thank you all for the kiss comments! at least it wasn't bad! I'm so sorry I can't review to you all! Thank you so much , GoldenRoseTanya, Hikari Yume, Fairy-Tail's-Dragon, SnowDragonSlayerTasha, Aitanna, Alycat, and PrettyKitty for reviewing!**

**1Fairytaillover: *Bursts out laughing* haha! your brother is 21 years old and he still hasn't had his first kiss? dot dot dot...  
Elodie: Erm... she's just the first celeb that came to mind...I'll say Sting? Yeah, sorry for being such a heartbreaker? I'd be kinda peed with myself if I kissed the guy that killed my mother. thank you!  
Axlorg: O.O ... 'kay. *Lucy throws Natsu's boot at Axlorg's face, screaming and summoning Leo Taurus and Virgo,* "you better run."  
Soifa: COOKIE! *sits, eats cookie*  
Talia: because I am an evil sadist. That likes to make you guys cry.  
Scrat and MythandFairyTailLover: *starts tearing up, hugs both in a death-hug* THOSE ARE THE BEST COMPLIMENTS EVER IN 10 WORDS THAT I HAVE EVER GOTTEN!  
TheGramarQueen: Go Lisanna! I really do like Lisanna, except when she gets in the way of NALu. I don't like stories where she's a beach because she's not. Yeah, I say beach. don't want dem little kiddies to see!**

** PLEASE REVIEW AND ANSWER MY POLL ON MY PROFILE!**


	25. The Bullet

**EXTRA LONG CHAPPY! Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

In fact, that was where Lucy was exactly right now. She peeked behind a suit of armor, looking at the two guards below. She smirked, back to her regular cold self again.

_It was the same as last time_, she mentally complained. _BOR-inggg!_

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!" The guards looked up for a split second before a two well-placed punches to their heads made them fall unconscious. Lucy smirked.

"Thanks Leo." She smiled kindly to the ginger-haired Spirit. He seemed concerned.

"Are you sure this is okay? Doing this without backu—" The bandit scowled and forced his Gate closed.

"Yes, I'm sure." She snapped to the empty air. Lucy descended the stairs, drawing her new dagger [courtesy of Virgo,] into her hand. The whip would have been too long to use in the small space below her.

Lucy slipped around the corner, listening to the voices for thirty seconds. She counted three, two masculine and one feminine. Three guards were all that separated Michelle from herself.

The bandit dashed around the corner, hitting the first man under the chin with the hilt of her knife. His eyes rolled to the back of his head but the unconscious man didn't even have the full time to hit the floor before the next one was knocked out also.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Someone shouted, and a fierce wind blasted Lucy back, making her crash into the wall painfully. She heard a sickening snap, and the pain in her arm was incredible. She bit her lip to stop herself from screaming, but everything turned blurry and the floor started spinning.

"Oh, are you okay?" Someone cried, running up to her. Lucy looked up, switching her knife in her other hand, preparing to knock out the other guard and fixing her arm. By the sound of it, the limb was broken. Lucy winced, struggling onto her knees as she looked at her last opponent.

It was Princess Wendy, looking down at her concernedly. "What are you doing here?" Lucy blinked.

"I... uh..." She couldn't hurt a damned little kid! Despite her need to break Michelle out, hurting kids was just... no. Seeing as Wendy wasn't moving or attacking her, Lucy didn't do anything in return. Not that she could, anyway, the pain her in arm stopped herself from making many coherent thoughts.

"Lucy!" Lucy zoned out to behind the princess, looking at the cell. Even moving her head hurt. She smiled though. Michelle was there, holding one hand on the bars to get as close to the blonde bandit as she could, while the other wrist was cuffed to the wall. Something warm filled Lucy's chest.

"Hey Michelle." She winced, "G-Good to see you okay." By the looks of it, Michelle was healing nicely, with freshly applied bandages and a small plate of food beside her. Her eyes were wide, mostly focusing on the bandit's arm.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" Michelle continued staring.

"I'm fine, I'm fi-NE!" Lucy squeaked when she attempted to get up, holding her arm and groaning. Wendy kneeled next to her, but the blonde pulled away fast. "What are you doing?"

"Healing your arm." Wendy explained. "You won't be able to go that far with a broken bone." Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but the girl cut her off. "Michelle is my friend, and she isn't spending her time locked in a cell. Go."

Lucy blinked, at a loss for words. A pale light emitted from the princess's hands and the girl reached out, snapping the limb back in place. The bandit winced at the sickening sound, but when Wendy pulled back and she moved her arm, she almost sighed in relief.

The princess seemed woozy, and suddenly she fell to the side. Lucy jumped forwards to catch her, putting her gently to the ground.

"I'm fine, I'm fine..." Wendy grinned weakly. "Just gotta recuperate some Magic." Her brow creased, and Lucy put her gently on the floor.

"Thank you so much Princess Wendy." Lucy bowed; feeling like the little girl deserved it. The blue-haired maiden smiled in response.

"The guard change is due in a few minutes." Wendy told her softly. "So go before anyone notices. I'll pretend." Lucy bent down to shuffle through the out-cold guard's key ring. She took it off his belt and proceeded to try all the keys until the lock to Michelle's cell clicked open. Lucy scowled, looking at the cuff attached to Michelle's wrist. She would have to search the ring again.

Something made a loud clack against the cement floor next to her. The bandit looked over at the silver key Wendy threw. "It's the key to the cuff." Wendy explained exhaustedly. The blonde nodded, taking the key and unlocking Michelle's arm from the chain.

The little blonde threw her arms around Lucy, making her stumble. "are you okay? How did you make it out alive? I was so scared and worried and..." Lucy patted her back.

"Sorry Michelle. I'll have to explain it to you later. We don't have any time for chit-chat. Remember what I told you before?" she asked quickly. "About the safe house?" Michelle nodded.

"If we get separated, meet me there." The older sister told the little one. Lucy gave Wendy an appreciative glance before heading up the stairs with Michelle.

"It's the same plan as before. They won't be expecting us to come back the same way, but we'll watch our backs more so we don't get caught." Lucy looked down at Michelle's medium-dark blue clothes with distaste. They weren't fit for sneaking around.

Celestial Spirit clothes were too bright... Lucy scowled. "I'll work with what I got." She said to herself quietly, checking the outside room for people. The Grand room was empty. She looked at the two guards at her feet, still unconscious. She pushed the bodies down the stairs, smirking. That was easy.

Lucy took Michelle's hand and crept through the halls, walking all the way to the Gardens. She watched her back carefully, making sure no one crept up behind her. Michelle remained silent, following the elder bandit without a word.

The reached the double glass doors to the Gardens safely. Lucy looked behind her, ears straining to hear footsteps while she inspected outside. There were four guards in sight, two red and two blue. The guard wrinkled her nose, seeing if she recognized any of the men.

She froze. One of the men was big and bulky, with bright, unmistakably yellow hair. _"Those uniforms represent mages, and we have strong ones. Especially a yellow-haired one, Do Not cross him. You'd be screwed in a second." _Natsu's words echoed in her head. She peered at the man one last time before pulling Michelle away.

"Wha— weren't we supposed to be there?" Michelle whispered. Lucy shook her head, gritting her teeth, almost grinding them together.

"No. One of the guards is supposed to be strong. I don't want to take risks with you." She said harshly. Michelle swallowed but followed along. The bandit followed another route, not too far from the Gardens, and slipped outside.

Two hedges separated her and the guards. She swallowed, creeping quietly through the path, eyeing the large wall not too far away from her. Lucy quietly unlatched her grappling hook, and Michelle stepped forwards.

_SNAP._

* * *

A guard, by the name of Thomas, ran through the ballroom, easily finding the Lord and Queen sitting at the head table, chatting animatedly to each other with Metalicana. The man pushed through the remaining crowd, panting slightly from the run.

"Sir, I apologize, but this is an emergency." Thomas cried, careful to keep his hands to himself. Igneel scowled. "I'm sorry, Lord Igneel. We need to speak in private. Immediately." The man swallowed, trying not to freeze under Igneel's cold stare.

"Yes, fine. If it is an emergency then it had to be dealt with." He stood up, walking out of the room with the man into an empty hallway.

Thomas managed to speak. "I-It's a competitor from Prince Eucliffe's district, named Minerva. She attempted to steal the Dragneel kingdom's resources by marrying herself to Natsu and then using the land to fuel her own count—"

"That's enough." Igneel rumbled, rubbing his forehead. "She is a problem that needs to be dealed with, obviously."

"She kidnapped a girl also. Using a third-degree Magical thought collar for mage's. An illegal device in Fiore." Thomas said quickly. "Prince Gajeel got the girl out somehow." The redhead nodded.

"Could you give me your Magical Shock device?" Igneel asked, holding out his hand. Every guard held a taser-like device that could shock people unconscious. The older man didn't want to possibly start a war by burning the princess of the Orland Kingdom, so he would shock her instead. Thomas handed the device over reluctantly, and Igneel spun around to get rid of this nuisance.

Igneel walked back to the ball, lounging around and inspecting for a black head of hair. He remembered the lady quite well; unfortunately, she was one who left an impression. Igneel wrinkled his nose and scoffed. She wasn't pretty, with all that makeup crap put on her face. And if she thought Natsu would marry himself to her?

Igneel would have had a heart attack if his son chose that lady.

Finally, he stopped a raven-haired Minerva sipping wine on a little single-person table. Some of the red-wearing guards close to her were eyeing the lady whenever they thought she wasn't looking. Minerva scoffed and rolled her eyes at them as Igneel walked up to her.

"Hello. You are Minerva Orland, correct?" He said. The lady looked up, smirking softly.

"Yes, indeed I am, Lord Dragneel. I am honored to know that you remember my name." She stood up and bowed.

"May I speak to you in private? It is only for a few short seconds." The man asked, trying not to show distaste in the woman. She was uptight and she thought she was better than anyone else. Plus she'd kidnapped a girl and was planning to leave the Dragneel Kingdom bankrupt. She made him sick; but he tried not to show it. His face remained impassive.

"Yes, Lord Dragneel." There was a challenging glint in her eyes, and the eldest Dragon Slayer noticed. He responded with a silent challenge of his own, eyes sharpening and turning a little more slit-like. The lady smirked and followed him outside.

"You've figured it all out?" she asked coolly. Igneel snorted.

"Come with me willingly or there will be hurt." He couldn't believe how many criminals had attacked the castle recently. _It was like a bandit magnet at the moment, for god's sake, _he thought.

"But what did I do wrong?" she batted her eyelashes mockingly. Igneel growled and stepped forwards, but found himself stopped by a sort of wall. He pressed up against it, growling.

"A Space mage, eh?" he rumbled, blasting the wall with fire. The barrier held, only barely. For a second, Igneel could see it as it truly was, a purpley spiraling wall in constant motion. The Dragneel king punched the thing, stepping back and finding himself in a box. He scowled, punching the wall again. It cracked.

"I suppose my plans are ruined now. I must go back to Jeimma, I suppose." She scowled, but turned back to the angry Dragon Slayer, the only thing separating prey from predator the tiny barrier. "Pleasure doing business with you, Igneel." She bowed, turning on her heel and walking away.

"GUARDS!" Igneel yelled from the top of his lungs, meaning everybody in the castle heard him clearly. Minerva smirked, her back facing the Dragon Slayer as she walked away. Igneel smashed into the barrier until it snapped and broke.

"ORLAND!" Igneel stomped after her scent until he met up with a huge group of guards. Gray ran up to him, his uniform put on, visibly, Igneel could tell, quickly.

"Lord Igneel. Minerva has teleported somewhere. We are trying to locate her, but at this point, she could be anywhere. Even outside. She may have gotten awa—"

"Boooys..!" The guard and king spun around to look at the figure standing there, softly smirking. There was a ball underneath her arm. Igneel recognized it as a communications lacyrima. _She must have used that to contact her father, _Igneel growled. "I just wanted to get this before I left." Minerva opened up a Space to deposit the ball in.

"Now I just have to give retribution to that little twerp for giving me away." She growled, and Igneel's eyes widened. _The little girl that she kidnapped?_ He thought, eyes widening as Minerva disappeared.

* * *

Gajeel looked over at the little girl beside him, reassured that she was fine and sleeping peacefully for the thirtieth time that night.

The Iron Dragon Slayer had taken Levy to the infirmary, but she'd fallen asleep as soon as she drunk a glass of water and hit the bed. He guessed that the beach-lady didn't feed her much, and a growl rose in his throat. He was careful to be quiet though, not wanting to wake her up.

Gajeel decided to stay here. Not because he cared for her or anything, just he might as well stay here, since there was nothing to do anyway. He huffed, turning back to look at the wall.

About half-an-hour later, there was a sudden stirring in his gut, like something bad was going to happen. His forehead creased but he stood up, growling. It was just a sense, telling him to get up and watch outside. He leaned on the doorframe, just as Minerva appeared in front of him.

"You're the one who kidnapped that girl, right?" he growled, recognizing the uptight woman who blocked his way that night. The woman smirked.

"My name is Minerva Orland. I am here to give retribution to the girl who gave me away. She is in the infirmary, yes?" He growled in response.

"You're not getting past me. It was wrong to hurt the Shrimp and you're not doing it again."

* * *

Lucy's eyes widened and Michelle raised her foot, seeing the stray branch underneath that she'd crushed. Lucy took Michelle's hand and turned back, bolting for the doors. Everything to Lucy seemed slow-motion.

The ground where they were once standing exploded. The two bandits were thrown forwards by the blast and face planted into the dirt. Lucy and Michelle coughed, but the elder blonde scrambled to her feet, pulling Michelle up and running. She opened the doors hastily and turned down the hallways, not caring if anyone saw at this point. In fact, no one seemed in the hallways, but Lucy could hear distant banging of a fight.

"Michelle!" she cried, pulling her hand more. The girl nearly tripped but managed to stay on her feet.

She heard the yellow-haired mage, she assumed it was, talk into a communications lacyrima fast. "Guards needed at the east end. Golden Spirit trying to escape with the girl again." He growled and chased after her.

Lucy brought out a Key. "Open, Gate of the Twins and Scorpion, Gemini and Scorpio!" She screamed, heart pounding and blood hammering in her ears. The two Spirits emerged, charging and holding the man back. He disappeared around a corner, until Lucy judged herself far enough from him.

She knew the guards would find them eventually, so she continued running, their quick footsteps echoing in the halls. Michelle and Lucy were panting heavily.

They reached the Grand Hall safely. Lucy looked at the grand doors. She wasn't planning by the front door, but she supposed she had no other options. Before she could move, dozens of soldiers filled the room, surrounding the two bandits. They all pointed their spears at her.

"Halt!" Gray shouted. "You have the right to remain silent, Golden Spirit and Michelle." The older bandit growled, trying to see an escape point. She swallowed, not seeing one. All the spears looked mighty pointy to her.

She transmitted her thoughts to one of her Spirits, hoping he'd hear her. Luckily, he did, emerging from his Key with a large golden flash, blinding everyone. Leo smiled at the girls, kicking some guards away to make a path for them to run.

She didn't know why she'd only noticed at that moment. Lucy turned around, and there she was; a green-haired girl hiding in the shadows, a sniper aimed for her heart. Before she had the time to scream, or alert Leo, the gun shot. Time slowed down.

And then someone threw themselves in front of her, taking the bullet previously aimed at the bandit. Someone who had pink hair and wore a scarf around his neck.

* * *

**I'm sure you know who it all is, BUT! It's late and I cannot give you more chappies! MWAHAHAHA! Sorry this one took so long, blame it on RPing forums and life. and school... god, I shouldn't be making excuses like this... AW, I can't do replies, sorry! Thank you so much MythandFairyTailLover, Jesselyrics, Edolie [btw, you were the only one who answered my other question. Everyone, thank this girl/guy for shooting *blank!], Alycat, Lolibeagle, 1fairytaillover, Fairy-Tail's-Dragon, FTastarossa, paniccatthediscofreak7, PrettyKitty280, HikariYume07, BlossomsCherry, Sofia3, CazalezAngel, LiLiRoSe98, Scrat, and last but not least Talia! I wish I could reply to you all but then this story would be like, mostly replies! **


	26. Promises

**You have the right to hate me, even if I gave you an extra-long chappy. I don't own FT!**

* * *

Lucy's eyes widened as the person threw themselves in front of her. Pink flashed before her eyes and then a frightening crimson. The guards stopped their attacks, and everyone froze.

The bandit's mouth fell open and she gasped. Seemingly on cue, the guards rushed forwards, almost tripping over themselves to make sure that the man that took the bullet wasn't dead. Everyone ignored the bandits, checking to see if the boy was alright.

Lucy was frozen, surrounded in guards but her mind couldn't function right. She dimly felt someone tugging on her hand, and she followed along blindly. There were lots of noises and sounds but to Lucy it was all a swirl of meaningless colours. Time seemed to stretch, and the few seconds seemed like millienia. She couldn't make sense of things.

"Lucy? Why are you crying?" it was the voice that pulled her from the mishmash of chaos. The sweet voice like Lucy knew like the back of her own hand. The bandit snapped out of it and realized that they were hidden in the bushes.

Outside the castle.

But instead of feeling joy, she felt miserable. She looked over at the little girl crouched beside her. "Crying? I'm not—" She lifted her hands to her face and felt, indeed, there was water streaming down her cheeks. She felt the tears run around her fingers before pulling them away fast, wiping her face with her forearm, leaving a blotchy red mark.

"I-I... Let's go." She snapped, rubbing her cheeks one last time before heading deeper into the forest, fighting away useless tears as they hiked through the bushes.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gajeel was facing off with Minerva.

"I don't care if I did something you consider 'wrong.' I want retribution. Balance isn't wrong. She gave my plan away, she'll get hurt." Minerva smiled sadistically, stepping forwards, letting the clack of her heel echo around in the halls.

"_Balance._" He scoffed."Coming from you. You abused this girl for your stupid Kingdom and their stupid wants. You don't deserve to be a princess. I usually don't hurt women, but if you take one step closer I'll attack." His anger was reaching its peaks and the dangerous glare in his eyes told everybody he was not to be messed with. But, with a smirk, Minerva stepped forwards. As soon as her foot touched the ground, Gajeel launched himself forwards, making his arm into a pole and crushing the ground where she once stood. He growled, keeping his back to the door. She had disappeared, but her scent told him—

He shot another pillar at a space to his right. There was a startled yelp and she appeared again, throwing her hands out and, even though he couldn't see the attack itself, shooting a blast that made the air ripple. Gajeel leaped, and the doorway where he once stood exploded. Levy was on the far corner of the infirmary, so she was okay.

The Iron Dragon Slayer pounced, expecting to knock the lady down easily but Minerva disappeared again. The black-haired man caught onto her dress though, and the bottom shredded with a loud rip.

For a long second, there was silence. "That was fine Aries silk, you moron!" Something clubbed him on the head, which didn't hurt much. Minerva came into view, dress shredded and looking very angry.

"I'm a dude. I don't give a crap about your clothes." His cheeks blew up and he blew a blast of metal shrapnel at the woman. She snarled, sending a blast to counter it. The attacks collided and bits of metal and Magical energy was thrown everywhere. Minerva got many cuts from the sharp projectiles, but they didn't affect Gajeel.

Using the distraction as cover, the Iron Dragon Slayer punched the woman in the jaw, making her fly up and backwards. There was a large, angry purpley-red marking already forming there as she landed, completely unconscious.

Gajeel smirked, but then the woman on the ground faded. He scowled a split-second before he was kicked in the jaw, his head snapping to the side with the motion. Minerva laughed and danced away.

"My Space Magic can create copies of me with Magic while hiding the real me in a Spatial Pocket. You cannot win, Iron Dragon Slayer Prince." She howled. Gajeel launched himself at her again, turning his arm into a chainsaw and ripping the floor where she once stood. She was above him now, crashing down with her heel dug into his face. He face-planted into the ground, wincing from the pain, but coughed dirt from his mouth, standing up again and rubbing the red heel-mark from his cheek.

"You can't beat me, you can't beat me." the voice echoed through the halls and Gajeel winced. He couldn't find the source of the voice like that, the sound bouncing all over. His nose was less accurate.

Gajeel growled, looking behind him at the sleeping Levy [how she'd managed to stay unconscious this whole time, he didn't know,] but he liked it better this way so he didn't have to protect the little shrimp running around screaming anyway.

Minerva struck, lunching forwards and finally going on offense. Gajeel was having trouble keeping up with her kicks, being thrown around with sudden Magical Blasts appearing behind or beside him. The raven-haired lady laughed, timing her blows when a Magical blast hit and not giving him time to recover.

He'd had enough. Shrimp was behind him and he wasn't letting this lady get through him. Gajeel didn't like being tossed around like a doll either.

He Roared at her, and Minerva wasn't expecting the quick bounce-back. She got hit directly, making her scream. The lady's dress was torn and even more cuts appeared on her body from the razor-sharp metal. Gajeel leaped, the second after his attack faded, and punched her in the stomach. She choked, and instead of catching her, the Iron Dragon Slayer let the woman fall to the ground unconscious, smirking.

"That's what you get." At that moment, Grandine and Metalicana appeared around the corner, eyes wide and looking at the mess.

"What happened?" the woman screeched, making the other two Dragon Slayers wince. Gajeel looked around, noticing the damage he had done to the stonework and— not to mention, the giant gaping hole Minerva had blasted into the wall.

"I caught the bandit everyone was looking for." He scoffed and pointed to the unmoving body. Metalicana grinned, seemingly oblivious to the damage done that accompanied this act.

"Good job!" The elder Redfox patted Gajeel on the back, the giant hand making even Gajeel stumble a bit. The youngest Dragon Slayer growled but sweatdropped. He had noticed Igneel's happy behaviour and hoped it didn't have to do with their Dragon Slayer Magic. He would hate himself if he became like _that_.

Grandine scowled, looking at the damage, but sighed. "We'll get this fixed eventually. At the moment, my husband is focusing on the Golden Spirit; apparently she's trying to break the child out. Again." The Sky Dragon Slayer frowned upon this. She and Igneel had decided that Michelle would have to be transported to an orphanage, to bring Spirit somewhere else, but with the competition going on they were a little short on guards that could handle a Transformation mage as, Grandine had to admire her skill for a moment, talented as Michelle. The Queen had ever seen Transforming Magic as good as hers was, and especially not at such a young age.

"Okidoke!" Metalicana nodded and grinned fiercely. Grandine facepalmed.

* * *

Igneel was charging down the hallways, ready to finish this Spirit issue once and for all. Inwardly, he was fuming that he didn't get to beat up Minerva, but Spirit was the next best thing. She had been a thorn in his side for the past two weeks and he was going to put both bandits in a cell if it was the last thing he did.

He walked into the Grand Room, seeing the dozens of guards surrounding the two bandits. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Igneel was blinded. He blinked, his Dragon Senses working faster to adjust, and he saw that another Spirit belonging to the bandit had appeared, distracting the guards. But, his mouth twitched upwards when he saw, Bisca was aiming a gun at the duo. Bisca and Alzack were the best shots here, and he was sure she wouldn't miss, aiming for somewhere that wasn't too fatal.

He only saw the head of pink hair at the last moment. The gun shot, and his son threw himself in front of the bullet. Igneel gaped, then roared, charging forwards as the two bandits escaped, Michelle seemingly pulling a limp Spirit out the Grand Doors. Igneel didn't care at this point, pushing past the guards roughly to get to his son.

Lisanna and Gray were the closest, already trying to cover the wound up. It hit him in the stomach, closer to the right side, and his eyes were wide, looking down at the hole. The boy's eyes started tearing up from the pain.

"Natsu. Natsu!" Igneel had to shout to get his attention. His eyes were glazed over now, but he turned his head slightly to say that he was listening, or at least trying to. The pain in his stomach was incredible, it took all his willpower, which was a lot, not to black out.

"D-Dad..?" he murmured.

Igneel kneeled next to his son, looking down with fierce onyx eyes. "Why did you block that shot? You knew Bisca was there..." he looked down at the wound. "You used yourself to block the bullet, and now you have this. Why did you block it for the bandits?" at that moment, Natsu's head flopped to the side. He had fallen unconscious, not giving an answer to the King. He sighed as he was put on a medical stretcher and wheeled away.

He knew Natsu had been acting strangely lately. Could those bandits have something to do with it? Igneel growled and started following the nurses to the infirmary.

* * *

Lucy's foot squelched in the mud as she looked up at the cabin in the middle of nowhere, holding Michelle's hand tightly. She had pushed her out-of-the-blue emotions to the side, focusing on locating the house because at one point the duo had to backtrack a bit. Finally, she was here, with Michelle, ready to run to a new country or somewhere where nobody had ever heard of the name 'Golden Spirit.'

But why wasn't she happy? In fact, she felt opposite of that, sad and depressed as she opened the door to the Strauss household. Almost instantly, she was blown backwards by two arms wrapping around her neck and landing backwards with a heavy weight on her chest. She was thrown, quite literally, out of her stupor, looking up in surprise.

"Lucy! We were worrying about you for so long!" Mira cried, eyes wide and sparkling. Elfman's snores came from the other room, and Michelle had sidestepped, looking at the older women in surprise.

The silver-haired mage got off of Lucy, looking over at Michelle. She crouched down, eye-to-eye with the girl. The dark-blonde seemed torn between staying or bolting, until Mira beamed widely and held out her hand.

"Hello. My name is MiraJane, but you can call me Mira. I've heard a lot about you, Michelle." The little girl shook the mage's hand, smiling slightly.

"I'm Michelle. I'm Lucy's sister." She said shyly, looking down. Mira grinned, standing up, only then noticing Lucy's red and puffy eyes.

"What happened?" she demanded, noticing the shredded clothes and, Mira was almost scared, what looked like a red, fairly fresh crimson spot on her suit. Lucy looked at her feet, and the silver-haired mage started fearing the answer. "Did something happen to Lisanna?"

She shook her head, more tears welling in her eyes. Mira shuffled them over into the tiny living room, running into the kitchen to get the tired bandits soup. The Take-Over mage put the bowls down on the table, the broth still steaming, and sat down. Neither of the blondes took a bite, however enticing the food smelled. Even Michelle was looking down at her feet guiltily.

"It's not Lisanna. It was Natsu. He took a bullet for us..." Mira gasped and her hand flew over her mouth.

"Was it fatal? Is he okay?" Lucy shrugged half-heartedly, her bangs covering her eyes. Tears started streaming down her face. Mira sat next to her on the opposite side from Michelle and pulled her in close, rubbing her back. Lucy didn't fight it; she fisted the silver-haired mage's dress while Michelle hugged her from behind.

"I-I was such a j-jerk to him but he didn't care! He took a bullet for us and now he could very well be dead!" she cried. Mira patted her back.

"What about you go see him? Sneak in again to see if he's alright? Elfman and I could watch Michelle here while you go see him." Michelle recoiled at her words, pouting and shaking her head.

Lucy frowned and pulled away. "But—"

"Lucy!" Someone burst through the doors, yelling the bandit's name. The girl looked up to see Lisanna, eyes wide while she walked towards her. "Are you okay?" she demanded, looking over at the girl. Lucy smiled shakily but nodded.

'I'm fine..." she said quietly, looking down at the floor. Lisanna understood her misery.

She said it quietly. "The Prince is going to make it. The bullet missed anything important. Wendy and Grandine are working on him." Lucy looked up, eyes wide and shining. Unknowingly, her mouth stretched into a grin.

Suddenly, there was another knock at the door. Four pairs of eyes widened and everyone made a frantic scramble to stuff the two bandits under the bed. Lucy didn't dare breathe as Mira opened the door.

"Makarov? What are you doing here?" Lucy blinked. Makarov?

_ "My name is Makarov, but everyone calls me Gramps." He told her. _The bandit blinked, but remained where she was in fear that it was just another soldier with a similar name.

"Tell Spirit that there's a small window in the infirmary. The guards change at 10 o'clock; the space is free for a few minutes when they go on break. And there are no guards inside after that." Lucy bolted from underneath the bed, scaring Michelle slightly and making Mira look behind her at the disturbance. She jumped forwards, but the petite man had disappeared.

Mira frowned, looking at the empty space. "How did he know?" she asked quietly, looking over at Lucy concernedly. The bandit ducked her head outside, checking if he somehow ran away [although, with his short stubby legs she doubted he was very fast in the first place,] but the space was empty. She scowled but returned inside. Michelle was standing up, and her eyes followed the elder bandit as she sat on the bed and cradled her face in her hands. She groaned.

Natsu probably never wanted to see her again. She had run away like a coward, and the thought made her heart sink and squeeze painfully at the same time. Lucy pouted, staring down at the floor. _If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead right now and Michelle wouldn't be safe._

But he still wouldn't want to see her.

Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder, making her jump. Lucy looked up to Lisanna's warm blue eyes. "You should go see him. You know that he still cares for you, right?" she smiled back slightly and pulled Lisanna into a hug. The silver-haired mage was surprised but hugged her back tightly.

"Besties forever, right?"

"Right." Lucy bent down to Michelle's level. The girl's eyes were wide, searching Lucy's while pouting. She had a feeling she knew what was going on.

"You going?" Michelle sulked, looking down at the floor.

"Michelle, I'll be fine. You'll be safe with Lisanna and Mira. You can trust them." Lucy smiled brightly, making the smaller blonde smile back. "I won't be gone long, just for the night." Michelle nodded and the elder bandit stood up.

She turned to the Strauss siblings. "You'll protect her if anything goes wrong? If..." she swallowed, but shook her head, trying to stay positive. "Nevermind. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

Michelle hugged her from behind, and Lucy turned to look at the little girl. "Come back safe, alright? Promise?" She whimpered. Lucy nodded.

"A Celestial Mage never breaks her promises."

* * *

**... I'm sorry. School just started last week and I've been running around trying to get everything organized and start/finish projects and homework, yes, ALREADY, {highschool sucks.} and I have no labels for my duotangs so I'm kinda just stuffing things into my binders and now I can't find anything. *sighs* I have just found NO TIME to type! I am SO SORRY! but I am so disappointed in myself. I was planning on posting last night but my mom told me to go to bed and I didn't have enough time to write this really long apology letter. SORRY! I woke up an hour early just to post this. {god I'm so tired.}**

**I got this really nice review last night, and I almost jumped for joy. It was really long and had plenty of g compliments and questions... and it took up all my reply space... an extra long thank you for waiting so long, Talia, 8XxAnimexX8, Sabrina, 1fairytaillover, prettykitty280, ftastarossa, Alycat, DeathBerryHime, HikariYume, BlossomsCherry, TheGrammarQueen {I lolled on your review,} Sofia3, Dog'sPawBurningInHotAsh, ElodieKumari, LiLyRoSe, BellatheNerd, MythandFairyTailLover, Feathers15, another apology to Sofia3! (no hugs? *pouts* I'm sowwy...) A special Thank you to Guest! I have a really long reply that you deserve, but I wish I could PM you! **

Guest: um, neither. Sure, I like making cliffys, [isn't it fun making readers squirm,] but usually I update every 1-2-3 days. this is... well, I apologize for the long wait. (my excuses are in the paragraph above.) Yeah, I'm thirteen, and thank you! I want to ecome an author when I grow up and I thought fanfiction would be a great start to get opinions. ha, yeah, the kiss thing was hard. I had to run round and ask: is this okay? cause I didn't want it to be gross more soft and sweet but I had no idea what a 'soft and sweet' kiss was like. Symbolism! its works, as Lucy's a cold bandit who doesn't trust anyone [except Michelle,] and Natsu's a fire-using Prince who wants to become *cough cough* friends with her, it kinda worked. GaLe! I added that in cause, well, who doesn't like cute GaLe? I don't really do crack pairings, (except StinEredy, which is a meh,) and I needed filler space. It wouldn't really make sense if Gajeel married this random girl that came out of nowhere, so I decided to give them some Backstory. I was having trouble with that part and I just decided to close it off there cause I couldn't think of any motivational speeches, {which is common in FairyTail,} to squeeze in there that sounded good. well, here's an extra-long chappy for you and **MY AWESOME READERS WHO I APOLOGIZE TO FOR MAKING YOU WAIT SO LONG!**

I'm Sowwy... Review your hatred! *runs away from mob*


	27. Four-Letter Word

Lucy looked up at the giant red-and-white bricked wall. There were only one or two guards on top, so she suspected that everyone else was on break, just like Makarov said. She waited until both guards had their backs to her, then she crept to the bushes on the other side. The bandit followed the bushes until she reached a low part of the wall with ivy growing all over it. She grunted as she climbed up, grabbing leafy vines as she ascended. Finally, she reached over the top. Lucy rolled over, not wanting to be seen by the guards inside. Luckily, there was a ridge that shielded her from sight. Two blue-wearing guards were marching next to each other, a fat one and a ginger-haired ponytail guy, so she took the chance and ran quietly to the door.

The bandit slipped through, descending the stairs until she was at ground level. There was a regular-sized wooden door with a small window in it; so Lucy peered through. There appeared to be no guards.

The guards must have been on double-duty since Lucy had raided the place repetitively, Lucy calculated. Most of the soldiers must be closer to where Natsu was sleeping. (She really did hope he was just sleeping.)

Lucy slipped through and ran to the castle, using decorative trees and hedges as her cover. She ran through the door, then immediately pressed herself against the wall because she head boot-steps. She didn't dare breathe as a guard marched past her, nothing stopping him from seeing her except his back.

He marched farther and farther, until he turned the corner and his footsteps decreased in volume. Lucy sighed, moving down the hallways where she thought the infirmary was. Finally, she was able to find it; two guards were standing at the door protectively, holding two mighty electric-ey looking spears.

Lucy remembered that the old man Makarov told her there was an open window somewhere. She crept around, and there was a door that led outside. She opened it, and there was a loud thud, but she ignored that, because beside her was the window. She looked down at the thud noise and instantly swallowed a giggle.

Whoops. The door had hit a soldier and knocked him unconscious... Lucy covered her mouth with her hand and dragged him somewhere in the bushes where he wouldn't be seen.

The bandit checked outside once again before turning around and pressing her face to the window. There appeared to be no one there. Lucy grunted as she climbed through the small space, hands outstretched and legs kicking around wildly in a handstand so she didn't fall face-first into the floor. Finally she squirmed through, turning the handstand into a roll to soften the landing against the floor, rolling onto her feet.

She patted herself on the back for the smooth move but instantly checked her surroundings. She'd ended up in the infirmary, she was sure.

The room was spotless and silent, except for the sound of light breathing coming from a petite aqua-haired girl Lucy had landed beside. The air smelled heavily of antiseptic, most of the room's furniture being white. The bandit glanced at the sleeping girl lying in a white-sheeted bed, checking her condition. She was out cold. The girl was separated from the next bed by a thin, washed-out curtain. Lucy walked past that and smiled.

Natsu was there, arms put on his sides, bandaged severely around the stomach but his chest was rising and falling smoothly and the fact that he wasn't deathly pale almost made her jump for joy. Natsu was alive. She beamed warmly, taking the seat next to the man. The little alcove with walls made out of sheets had nothing but a little side-table, a chair, and the bed Natsu was resting on.

She stared at Natsu for a few moments, then Lucy was seized by sadness. It was her fault that he was unconscious in this room and he had a gaping hole in his stomach. The blonde bandit swallowed; the words she was planning to say stuck in her throat. She didn't know what to say. Sorry wasn't enough and definitely seemed ridiculous. Her head hung low.

He only wanted to become her friend, but she'd pushed him away.

She inhaled deeply, then let another breath draw out slowly, starting off slow, beginning to pick up speed and getting used to talking to him. "I... was only seven when my mother died and my father ignored me. I ran away from home and had... to steal to survive. At first, I tried asking people if I could live with them, but nobody would take me in. It was scary sometimes. Some people would politely decline and I would leave, but others... they would throw things at me, a little girl dressed in rags, so I would go away. So I lived on my own, learning the hard way how cruel humanity could be. I created an ice-cold shell around myself to protect me."

"Then I found Michelle wandering around in the forest; once I revealed myself she smiled and had collapsed into the ground. I took care of her once she woke up and she told me what had happened to her parents. They were murdered. This only encouraged my hatred towards other people. I thought everyone was the same, cold and heartless. I took Michelle in because I remembered how it was like to be rejected with nowhere else to go. She was the only person who could get to me." Lucy swallowed, the words threatening to crack. She clenched her teeth and continued moving.

"Gradually this icy shell grew thicker and thicker and I stopped caring. I tried to protect Michelle from people because I didn't want her to become like me." She started to cry, the little droplets of water rolling down her cheeks, landing on the leathery material of her suit and creating dark spots.

"That's why I acted like that to you. I thought you were exactly like those other people. You tried to melt that ice but I fought back in fear of rejection. I tried to scare you away but you're stubborn. Stupid stubborn Natsu." The bandit laughed shakily, wiping away tears. She looked down at the pink-haired boy sleeping. He was calm with his eyelids shut and his mouth was open slightly. His rose-colored spiky hair flopped over his eye a bit. Lucy chuckled and moved it away.

"You melted through that icy barrier that I thought was protection. You proved to me that you weren't biased or uncaring. You're brave, courageous, stupid at times, but trusting and compassionate. I ran away last night because I couldn't put my trust in someone but now I realize I'm wrong."

.

_ "Mommy, what's Love?" A little Lucy asked, looking up at her mother with wide chocolate eyes. She held up a brown-covered book. The gold etching said 'Fairy Tales for all Ages." _

_ Layla smiled, placing little Lucy on her lap along with the book. The smaller blonde opened it to a page, showing the prince and princess riding off into the sunset. Lucy pointed to a four-letter word next to the picture._

_ "L-O-V-E." Lucy spelled out, looking down at the page. Layla chuckled, thinking for a moment. _

_ "Love can mean different things for different people. I think Love is putting your absolute trust and faith in someone." _

_ "Like how the princess trusted the prince to slay the dragon to save her?" Lucy asked cutely. The mother nodded. _

_ "Just like how I love your father." Suddenly, Layla coughed loudly, scaring the little girl slightly and the Fairy Tale book dropped to the ground with a loud bang._

_ "Mommy?" _

_ Layla coughed roughly again. "I'm—" cough, "—fine." She regained her composure and picked the abandoned book off the floor. "Now where were we?" _

_._

Lucy teared up at the memory. Lisanna was right. Her mother would have been proud that she finally trusted someone enough to...

Love them.

The words, even mentally, were hard enough to say, but there was no doubt about it. She loved Prince Natsu, the boy who took the bullet for her.

After coming to this startling conclusion, Lucy leaned back, feeling drained. She looked down at the unconscious prince and thought about how that damned kiss felt. It wasn't right that her last words and actions to him were "I can't," and running away. Her head dropped, remembering the sadness in his eyes.

Lucy leaned forwards, bending down and kissing Natsu on the lips. Even unconscious, he felt warm and safe and like... _home._ He smelled like charcoal on a burning fire and had a sense of comfort to him. Someone rock-solid and would help you in a time of need. She pulled back, her lips tingling and a burning blush across her cheeks.

The bandit sighed, looking out the window, it was dark, and a clock on the wall which said it was 10:12. She'd only been here for twelve minutes and she was exhausted. Hey eyelids grew heavy.

Lucy wanted to stay awake longer, but the incoming blackness won. Her head flopped and slowly, her eyes closed.

* * *

"We have to check on Natsu." Lucy woke up at the sound of voices. She door swung open and for a moment she stared at the faces of Igneel, Grandine, and Wendy, before realizing, _crap, she fell asleep_, and that _she wasn't supposed to be here._

Lucy yelped and leapt to her feet, diving for the window a second before the space behind her burned. She managed to get half of her body out before the wall exploded, making her fly and hit the ground painfully. Something snapped and she winced, biting her tongue to stop herself from screaming. Her arm fell limp at her side.

Lucy's featured twisted into a grimace but heard the loud whack and a startled yelp as she ran away from the destruction, holding her hurt arm.

* * *

"I'm sorry." Igneel looked down at his feet.

Grandine scowled, waving her hand to create a small breeze, making the remaining embers flying around blow out. "Just because our son is fireproof, doesn't mean the other girl is!" she snapped, checking on the still-sleeping Levy, turning back to him, hands on her hips. Igneel grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry." He looked out the destroyed wall; it as steaming hot and pieces of broken rock and glass was everywhere. Spirit was gone. Somehow, even with the whole of the Dragneel family [minus one, Natsu was unconscious,] she still managed to slip away.

But why? The girl, Michelle, she had been targeting was free now. Igneel sniffed, noticing something odd. While the scents in the air were still quite fried, he could tell that Spirit had been here for hours. Sitting on a white— now half-melted, chair next to where Natsu lay. Yet no harm had come to him; Igneel saw he was still alive and breathing.

He relaxed, but only slightly. _Could Spirit have come here to say something to Natsu?_ The idea seemed ridiculous to the Dragon Slayer. Why would she come back for the man that caught her in the first place? Maybe she came to thank him, Igneel guessed. Still, it seemed iffy.

A bandit like her wouldn't care for their captors, would they? Igneel shook his head and returned to the bed. They'd get the wall fixed later.

Wendy was doing a quick scan for any dangerous or harmful chemicals around the area while Grandine used her Magic to speed up Natsu's healing process. "Spirit didn't hurt Natsu." Wendy announced, pulling her hands away from the rubble.

"There are no signs of damage done in the last twelve hours, actually he's quite happy." Grandine noted, eyebrow raised. Even in his unconscious state he was pleased as a man could be.

Grandine had her other thoughts too, like Igneel. What was the purpose of her visiting him? now she, being a female and much more likely to notice these things, pieced things together.

_ "Spirit's gone!" Natsu shouted from the halls. Grandine raised her eyes from the interesting herbal medicine book she was reading and, taking a split second to comprehend the words, leapt up from her chair and ran towards the sound of the voice. _

_ "What do you mean she's gone?" Grandine didn't bother waiting impatiently for the rest of the family, instead charging downstairs with Natsu in the back. The Sky Dragon Slayer passed the bend and... there Spirit was. Natsu seemed genially confused as Spirit glared at him. _

_ "What do you want?" The bandit snapped. Grandine turned back to Natsu, glaring at him irritably. _

_"Is this supposed to be some sort of funny joke?"_

Oh, and Igneel had told her about the walking-in-on-Natsu-and-the-girl-named-Lyra,-catch ing-them-in-an-awkward-positition thing too.

_Grandine sat at the table, looking over the girls waiting patiently [or impatiently] for their food. Some still had to come in, and Grandine caught a funny scent as one of them walked into the room. _

_ It smelled familiar. Grandine lifted her head in the slightest, almost discreetly, trying to locate the smell. She didn't make the connection of Lyra Heart walking in._

The scents were the same. Spirit entered the competition as Lyra, probably using Transformation Magic to sneak in. Grandine smiled coyly, admiring her bravery and intelligence for a second. And unless she'd learned beforehand, there was a certain family of Transformation Mages living in a cabin somewhere out in the woods...

Natsu had gone to visit them at one point, just after that other busty bandit came to steal a previously unknown assumed treasure and ended up getting injured. Grandine knew that the kind Strauss family wouldn't turn a blind eye if someone was injured.

The Sky Dragon Slayer understood the whole complexity of the plot within seconds, even if some small details were misunderstood. She decided not to tell her husband quite yet; it still was unsure and it was up to her son to make these decisions, but she smiled softly nothingless, thinking that maybe, just maybe, her son wasn't a complete dunderhead after all.

* * *

**CUTE ENDING FOR YOU ALL AND THE CHAPPY IS ON TIME! amazing! I woke up at FOUR in the morning so I decided to make the most out of it and finish this chappy. *yawns* and go read the next FT chappy... cause it came out tonight... and I have to- *falls asleep on keyboard* goodnight. Oh, before I fall unconscious again, thank you to GoldenRoseTanya, LiLyRose, Ftastarossa, and Talia!**

PrettyKitty: "DON'T KILL ME!" **HELP, ERZA AND PRETTYKITTY'S TRYING TO KILL ME!** *Runs*  
Elodie: Yeah, I put it the request as two separate questions and you were the only one who replied. Yes, you got Natsu shot. I kinda grinned sadistically when I read that. (i'm not crazy for wanting to shoot Natsu, I just like making readers mad at me! cuz that's what authors do!) We can all hope... but the there's Pika coming in... *swallows*  
1Fairytaillover and Fairy-Tail's-Dragon: Two words; school sucks.  
Sofia3: yeah, sorry for the long wait. Jerza is... a background pairing. I'm only mentioning it later, sorry! It's mostly a NaLu GaLe story, I was going to add that in as a 'What happened to Erza thing.'  
Loibeagle and LunarMistress: Yeah, I'm thirteen. *giggles* I'm hoping to write a book in the future and don't worry, if I do I'll show it off to e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e! (me being a show-off, cause that's just who I am, Lol!)  
Hikari: O.O ... kay... Yeeesssss, we all know that they LOVE each other VER VERY MUCH! *hint hint nudge nudge *cough* Natsu Lucy *cough* *

**REVIEWWWWWWW?**


	28. Waiting for him, her, and him again

It was the day.

Lucy stared down wistfully at the sheet of paper Lisanna had given to her the day after she broke into the infirmary. She sighed, putting it out of her mind, or at least trying. The thought still remained, mentally screaming attention.

Lucy looked back at the paper, but she'd read it so many times that the words were permanently stuck in her mind. "Today, Prince's Gajeel, Rogue, Sting, and Natsu will be choosing their brides! Come and see this once-in-a-lifetime experience!" The bandit scowled, only noticing now that Michelle had finished drying the dishes and sat next to her.

"Lucy, are you okay?" she asked, noticing the poster beside her and connecting the dots. Her sister had been staring at it all day.

Lucy had come back home safe. With a dislocated arm and a scorched suit, but fine nothingless. The arm was bandaged up, (a very painful experience for Lucy, who, surprisingly, had not ever injured herself that badly,) and was supposed to heal in a few days, but until then, Mira had put it into a cast, even if Lucy argued it was unnecessary and too bulky for her.

Michelle looked up at the bandit, smiling faintly. She was acting... not cold. She'd seen her sister around other people, over the last two weeks she changed with the introduction of a certain pink-haired prince in her life. Michelle noticed her smiling, (and crying) a lot more, but the little girl was old enough to have an idea of what that meant.

"You liiiiiiiiiike each other," she sang coyly, stretching out the 'i' in 'like'. Lucy's head spun towards the smaller blonde. "Lucy and Prince Natsu, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes—!" She exclaimed when the bandit made a lunge for her and started chasing her around the house. After awhile, Lucy stopped, sitting back on the bed.

"You gonna see him or what?" Michelle asked, coming back to the bed. Lucy sighed, but shook her head.

"I said my goodbyes, and now we're going. Once my arm heals, we're leaving the country." The bandit explained sadly, looking down at the paper. The smaller blonde's jaw dropped.

"We're leaving? You're leaving Natsu behind?" Lucy nodded.

"I told you before. After I'll get you out we're leaving to a country where nobody had ever heard of the Golden Spirit and we'll never hear the word 'Dragneel' again." she told her. "The arm is just a setback."

"But Natsu loves you! And you love Natsu!" Michelle exclaimed. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"There are plenty of beautiful girls in that competition. We may have kissed but that was once."

"He blocked a bullet for you." The girl said incredulously. "You Love Prince Natsu."

The blonde's eye twitched. "I do, I'll admit that, but no one will accept us and I'm not worthy to love a prince." She said. "I've lied and stolen and I'm a bad person."

Michelle deadpanned. "Because you had to. You are a good person, you were just forced to live this way!" she shouted. "I am living, breathing proof that you are a nice person! I would have been eaten by wild animals or starved to death if you hadn't taken me in! I bet your Spirits appreciate being well cared for, too." Lucy's Keys hummed in response, all, for once, agreeing with each other. The owner smiled softly in response, but shook her head.

"Natsu wouldn't even want to see me. Nobody would accept me. I've lived in the shadows all my life and I plan to stay that way." Michelle scowled.

"Lucy, stop being a coward and running away!" she yelled, startling Lucy. She recoiled fast, looking down at the floor.

"I'm sorry." She muttered. Lucy smiled half-heartedly, in slight awe of how much she'd grown.

"You don't have to be sorry. You're just trying to make me see better. You're a big girl now. You're right." Michelle looked up in surprise. "I can't stop running now. I'll... find out who Natsu's going to marry from the sidelines. I at least owe it to him."

* * *

It was the day.

Natsu swallowed, looking at the girls in the Grand room behind a curtain before pulling back quickly, hoping he wasn't seen. He bit his lip with a pointed canine when his stomach wound flared.

Natsu had spent the last few days in the infirmary, and the other girls had gone to visit him. His parents had sent Gray to keep him company and have more protection, once Spirit had busted in again, they would take no chances. The Prince hated the thing wrapped around his stomach, because he couldn't bend that much without being blocked. Igneel had made sure it was fireproof and tough to break too.

He turned around and caught Grandine odd gaze again. He frowned at her; she smirked back, and turned back to talking with Metalicana and his father. Natsu had been getting these _looks_ for the last five days, these coy, all-knowing looks, and every time Natsu was unnerved. The prince huffed and turned around to the hallways.

* * *

Lucy scowled, disliking the new form she was in.

Mira tutted as Lucy fingered the dress she was in. "Look, we need a... bigger form to hide your cast." Lucy scowled. She had to change into this fat, old... she didn't even know if it was a man or woman, making one arm, the arm with the cast on, skinny so it didn't work like she'd actually broken her limb on first glance. Unfortunately, Transformation Magic didn't fix dislocated arms feel any better.

She sighed, scowling in her new form and looking up in the mirror one last time before giving up. She looked horrid. Mira had found an old dress that only just managed to squeeze around Lucy's fat body while having long sleeves. Her shoes barely fit the, Lucy groaned when she saw the things she was supposed to Transform into, monstrous things she had to call feet. Her head was bald and her eyes were beady.

The guards wouldn't want to touch someone as ugly as her, so they would let her pass through quickly though without too much inspection or hassle. They hoped. Lisanna would accompany her in the background, because Lisanna miraculously disappeared the day Spirit did, so there was likely to be some suspicion. Michelle would stay at home with Elfman. Even if he wanted to see 'Natsu turn into a Man,' he was equally torn and eventually persuaded by his sister that 'taking care of little kids was even more Manlier.'

Mira flew in her (Lucy now understood the lady's dangerous side, seeing her Take-Over,) Satan Soul, Lisanna ran, and Leo carried Lucy by bouncing around, precariously perched on tree branches a second before he jumped off, making the bough spring back. Lucy would squeal every time, holding onto Leo's suit tightly, which made the Lion Spirit smirk. They went the long way, taking the empty road from Magnolia, and walking for a bit more until they reached the line for the Big Event. The Bandit changed into her ugly form just before they got there.

Lucy winced at the amount of people in line_. This was obviously a very big event..._ she thought, mentally scoffing. Inwardly, it kinda stung.

Soon, the line started marching forwards, and Lucy was in front of the line. She inwardly smirked when she saw Gray. "W-What is your name and your purpose in the Dragneel Castle?" he said, trying to keep his cool. Lucy could tell he was unnerved by her form.

"Oh aren't you such a pretty face?" Lucy squealed, pinching the man's cheek. Gray stiffened, and Lucy had to hold back a laugh. That was so worth it.

"My name is Bob. I come from a bar called Blue Pegasus; it's honestly a wonderful place. Call me if you want to chat for a bit, 'kay?" Lucy winked, walking past him. Gray seemed stunned into silence. He turned around to look at her retreating figure, but only stared at a hairy back, making him gag and turn back to his duties, not wanting to talk to that horrible— woman or man, he didn't know, or want to.

"Lisanna?" he blinked, staring at the face of Mira and Lisanna. "Hey, Lisanna, Mira." The two women smiled.

"So, how are you?" the smaller Take-Over mage asked.

"I-I'm good. What happened to you? After the night of the ball you disappeared along with... Lyra, I think her name was." Gray frowned. Lisanna frowned.

"Elfman caught a really, really bad cold so I decided to drop from the competition." He opened his mouth to speak, but the girl cut him off, "It's really contagious so don't go to the cabin." She warned. "I assume we can go see little Natsu go pick a girl?" she asked. Gray nodded and let them through.

Lucy slipped past the guards and changed back to her regular self. She growled when her cast hit the curtain she was hiding behind, making it ripple, but no one seemed to notice. The bandit pressed against the wall and down the hallway, heading for the upper balconies of the Ball Room, where the event was to be held.

The blonde heard footsteps, so she hid behind a suit of armour.

* * *

Natsu scowled, walking down the hallways. He didn't like the restriction of movement, whenever he tried to turn around or back. It felt so awkward, trying to twist his hips, and he wasn't very happy.

Big shocker; Natsu had been fairly awake when Lucy had visited him. He smiled unconsciously at the thought. Her past was sad, but the prince was happy that he could melt through that ice she'd hid behind. Ironic, since he was the Fire Dragon Slayer, but she'd kissed him. Willingly. He was sure, if he ever saw her again, he would tease her that she'd taken advantage of an unconscious man, and what he wouldn't give to see her. His heart gave a little squeeze at the thought. He hadn't been able to exit the castle until his wound had healed fully.

While this wound should have taken at least two months to heal, Dragon Slayers had abnormally fast healing capabilities and Grandine's Healing Magic would make it mend faster. He was lucky to have a mother like that. He was sure to have gone insane and rip the stupid thing off he'd had to wear the cast for two months.

He was going to choose a bride today. Natsu swallowed, trying to keep his head high. He didn't want to marry a girl. The pyromaniac didn't want to settle down because he was always up and moving, he didn't want to be the heir because that meant he had to do actual work, and certainly didn't want to be here, right now, where he was being forced to choose a bride.

Natsu walked for a bit longer, peeking through a decorative window into the Ball room. He was on the second floor, so he could see everyone's heads. On the right, up on stage, was rows of ten (or in his case 8, since Lisanna and Lucy left,) girls, all dressed up with their hair done and giggling to each other like excited children. Natsu rolled his eyes.

_Lucy wouldn't have dressed up like that. _Natsu's eyes widened and he shook his head. With being in the infirmary for so long, he knew the bandit would be gone. Far off, possibly past the borders of another country, where Natsu wouldn't be able to catch her. He scowled.

_Give it up, she's gone._

Natsu pouted, and started waking faster, when he caught a particular scent on the air. The prince couldn't believe it. He blinked, frowned, then grinned.

_So that's how she wants to play, eh? _He thought mischievously, turning on his heel, walking down a flight of stairs but tripping on the next, falling down and hitting his head hard. He yelped, looking up at a certain green-haired mage, waiting for him at the bottom like last time.

* * *

ALLO peoples! Sorry this chapter took so long, I just started Taekwondo again (in the adult classes) and they're hard as *insert swear here.* Seriously, I was ready to collapse yesterday. I almost seriously did. BT, the poll for 'what stories should I write next' are still on my page! go check it out! Thank you Dog's Paw Burning in Hot Ash, HikariYume, Talia, BlossomsCherry, and Feathers!

LiLyRoSe, Elodie, and NatsuandLucy4ever: Such a shocker this chappy, that he was awake, right? *rolls eyes*  
Sofia: YOU, MY GIRL, DESERVE THE BIGGEST APOLOGY. I'm sorry for making you wait so long!  
PrettyKitty: *whimpers* O-Okay... I'll write ASAP! I feel accomplished with your statement. Trust me, NaLu is awesome, random person I don't know that is friends with PrettyKitty! (and somehow, my cousin ships... NatZa... *shudders*)  
The Grammer Queen, GoldenRoseTanya, and MythandFairyTailLover: Yeah, thought I'd add that in for laughs. IT IS TRUE, he can be. XD

Can you guess what Natsu's gonna do? take a guess! in THAT little box down there! Rest, relax, and review! (and hope I stay alive next Taekwondo class so I can write a new chappy!)


	29. Melting Ice

"Hello, Prince Natsu. How do you fare?" Natsu looked up at the green-haired tall man named Fried, face stretching out into a grin.

"I'm good. Could I ask you a favour?"

* * *

Lucy's breath hitched when the footsteps stopped, a few metres from where she stood. She couldn't see the person, hidden behind the suit of armor and pressed up against the wall, but suddenly, he or she turned back, scaring the hell out of Lucy, who thought that the person had seen her. Luckily, the figure just moved on by.

The bandit relaxed, slipping behind the small crevice and finding her way back downstairs. _Now for the hard part, _she thought as she inspected the disorganized line of people trying to get the good seats before anyone else did. Already, the room was warm from the body temperature and only just under being stuffed to the brim.

Lucy focused her Magic into one point, trying hard to what Mira told her. She was only capable of doing 1st Level transforming at first, but to get in safely she'd need to skip a level and do 3rd level Transformation Magic. Mira said it was almost impossible; but to watch this event, the bandit would need to do it.

She held her breath and focused hard, but nothing happened. She huffed and tried again, her face turning purple in her effort. A few seconds passed and Lucy gasped, trying to regain air in her shriveled lungs, noting that there were only a few more people waiting in line before the doors would close and she'd be stuck here.

_Think of Natsu, think of what it would mean to him, think of wanting to change for my sake!_ She thought hard once again, and a few seconds and a cloud of smoke later, a little black-furred, brown-eyed cat appeared where she once stood. And let's just say the cast, being too big for her Magic to reach out to, clattered to the ground, so Lucy walked forwards, thinking her limb was alright, and yowled loudly.

_That hurt!_

Unfortunately, her front paw was still sore, so she ran up to the doors, limping slightly, and slipped through before any of the guards could catch her. They turned around at the last moment but Lucy Cat had already faded into the crowd.

She waited until everyone was seated, and all staring intently at the stage, where Igneel, Grandine, and Metalicana, sat on the right side of the stage, and Gajeel, Rogue, Sting, and Natsu sat on the left, all in that order.

But the others didn't matter. Lucy's gaze fixed on the pink-haired prince and her heart squeezed. But in a good way. Nobody else in the room was of concern; it was like it was all empty, just pink-haired human and bandit-turned-cat. She snapped out of her stupor in a snap, scolding herself for zoning out. She inspected the people on the stage.

Gajeel seemed brooding, Rogue was calm, Sting was smirking, and Natsu seemed... cocky. Lucy mentally frowned, ears unconsciously moving back a bit.

_Was it that he chose a bride that he liked?_ Lucy thought. _Did he find someone?_ Natsu didn't seem to be one for being cocky, and Lucy knew. In fact, after only knowing him for two weeks, she felt as if she knew him like the back of her own hand.

He was up to something, definitely.

She slipped between legs and moved to behind the stage, returning to her normal form when she noted no one was there. The bandit sighed in relief, looking beside her at the rack of dresses next to her. Lucy blinked; these were the clothes in her drawer, back when she was still in the competition. Her eyes widened a fraction and she searched through the rack for the one dress she wanted especially, smiling when she found it.

It was the midnight-black dress, with a starry night sky design. The fabric of the skirt bunched on the side and cascaded down like a Celestial Spirit waterfall. It wasn't too fancy, nothing like the frilly, poufy dresses others were wearing, but Lucy wouldn't want to wear them anyways. They were too girly, and Lucy didn't feel they suited her just as well as this one did. The bandit stepped into a change room, stripped off her clothes, and slipped the dress over her head, adjusting it so the fabric was on comfortably.

Lucy changed her hair colour to blue, hoping that the guards wouldn't peer at her too closely. She didn't want to see in someone else's eyes, so she went outside, wearing the nice dress. Her hair was down and none too formal, but it curled around her shoulders slightly, which was good enough.

The bandit sat at an empty seat in the far corner, avoiding the guards. She spotted Mira and Lisanna, close to the front. Their backs were to her. Everyone started to take their seats as music started playing. Quiet, excited chatter filled the air. The lacyrima lights dimmed.

Igneel stood up from his chair on the stage. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen! We welcome you all to the Dragneel Redfox's marriage ceremony, where the princes and future kings of the kingdoms will choose their brides today!" The Dragon Slayer's voice was loud enough so everyone could hear him clearly. While everyone seemed thrilled, Lucy, in the background, smiled sadly.

"I hope every prince had chosen. We'll start with the Redfox's." Igneel sat down as Metalicana stood up.

"Well, I'm proud of my little kiddies, they're all grown up and today, they're gonna choose their Mates. I'm not very talkative, but I wish them..." Metalicana's red eye shifted to his hand, which he opened slightly. He scanned the hand and started up abruptly, "Luck. I wish them luck." Lucy couldn't help but snicker as Sting, the youngest, stood.

"Well, you are all beautiful ladies," The bandit rolled her eyes as the blonde prince turned and winked at the females, making the row squeal like little girls. "And I love you all, but one girl had caught my eye particularly. She was quiet and didn't talk much, but you're cute and a nice person to be around. I've decided."

"Yukino, may I have the honor of being your husband?" A white-haired girl stood up, seemingly surprised. The other females glared at her.

"M-Me?" Sting laughed, beckoning her up to the stage.

"Yes, you." The girl walked up, and Sting kissed her softly. They took the seats on the other side of the room. Sting whispered something in her ear, and she giggled. She pecked him on the cheek sweetly.

"Rogue." The dark-haired man walked up to the stage. Everyone was curious to who the Shadow Dragon Slayer would pick. Lips were bitten in anticipation and people leaned forwards...

"I choose no one. Sorry girls." And the prince swiftly walked off. Everyone blinked, including Lucy. _What? _There was a long, awkward silence, until the eldest Iron Dragon Slayer spoke up.

"U-Uh... Gajeel?" Everyone on the stage seemed confused, but Metalicana called up the next person.

The scruffy-haired man walked up. Lucy guessed him as a brick-wall-nothing-can-touch-me type of guy, but he seemed quite... fidgety. He was looking up at the wall on the opposite side of the room, instead of the waiting crowd.

"Don't get me wrong, but I'm not marrying anyone, yet." He walked off the stage. Everyone's eye twitched. Seriously, this was an event to see the princes get married! So far, only one actually chose a girl!

Igneel finally spoke up. "And finally, my son, Natsu Dragneel." Natsu stood up, and walked up to the stage, grinning slightly. Lucy peered at him, trying to see what he was up to. He looked over at the girls beside him.

He took a deep breath in before speaking. "Hey, girls. What I'm gonna say to you all is this; You guys are all awesome people, and deserve someone great. But I'm not that person. Sure, I'm awesome—" Lucy rolled her eyes at this, " but I'm not your prince. There's someone out there that's meant for you, and it isn't me. Sorry guys." Lucy stopped. She didn't get it. Natsu didn't choose someone?

The bandit's lips upturned in the slightest unknowingly. She noticed that while Igneel's eye was twitching in irritation, Grandine was smiling softly.

"I'm in love with someone else."

Suddenly, the floor lit up with blue light. Everyone stood up and gasped, looking down. Lucy's eyes darted around, when Runes started typing themselves out on the wall.

"ALL MAGIC EXCEPT RUNE MAGIC IS NULLIFIED IN THIS ROOM." The bandit read aloud. She blinked, then her mouth fell open when her blue hair slowly faded away, revealing the bright blonde. Lucy jumped, trying to find a way to stop it, but slowly, she returned to normal. All the people inside the room gaped at her, including the Strauss's, the Dragneel's, the Redfox's... and the guards. Lucy caught Natsu's cocky gaze.

He was giving her a look, that said that he did everything. He gave her away.

Something inside her broke. She was betrayed, by all people, Natsu Dragneel. Tears pricked at her eyes. Not wanting anyone to see her tears, she turned and fled. Igneel, seeing her run, started charging, but his wife held him back, frowning. He looked at her in disbelief, but grudgingly stayed back.

"For my wife, I choose the Golden Spirit, Lucy the Bandit." Lucy heard the words and stopped, turning around to stare at the prince. She swallowed roughly, still not getting it. First he was betraying her... then..? More glowing blue Runes started typing themselves up, making a tiny road.

ONLY A FEMALE NICKNAMED THE GOLDEN SPIRIT CAN WALK ON THIS PATH. Lucy blinked, looking down at the floor in shock. Her gaze followed it, all the way up to the stage. Natsu beckoned her, beaming widely. She blinked.

Slowly, her foot outstretched and she moved up to the stage, still feeling betrayed, simply staring up at the cotton candy-haired boy.

He noted her hesitance and beckoned her once again, the large grin turning even wider, if possible. Lucy hesitated before grabbing the fabric of her skirt and escalating the stairs, looking down at the floor. No words were exchanged, but Lucy felt very, very uncomfortable. Everyone's eyes were on her, inwardly she was panicking, because she was a bandit, and she wasn't supposed to be stared at.

She squirmed, silence filled the room and every pair of eyes were on her. But suddenly, Natsu did something unexpected. He literally swept her off her feet, caught her, and bent down to press his lips against hers. The bandit's eyes widened in surprise and shock. Slowly, Natsu pulled away, addressing the crowd below them, all stunned into silence.

Seriously, Lucy swore she could hear a cricket chirping.

Natsu looked over at the bandit's red, red face. She seemed unable to follow the fast events leading up to that moment. He looked over at her, beaming widely. "I don't like seeing you in a disguise, or feeling the need to hide. Sorry if I scared you a bit there. I'm happy that I could melt your ice." Lucy took a split second to comprehend his word.

She smiled, flinging her arms around him and kissing him fiercely. It didn't matter how it happened, how she got up here on this stage, how she was kissing Natsu, it just did. She smiled against his lips, heart soaring for the sky. How could she have thought Natsu would betray her? It was impossible.

"Go Lucy!" Someone, their voice startlingly familiar, made Lucy's eyes widen and break away. Her eyes swept across the room, finally noticing the hawk perched on the upper window. Her eyes narrowed.

"Go Lucy!" The bird repeated again, in Michelle's voice. Noticing Lucy staring at her, Michelle's bird head ducked down. "Hey Lucy, how are you?" She asked sheepishly. Everybody, except the couple, on the stage seemed dumbfounded by the talking bird, wondering_ just what in the hell was going on?_

"Michelle, what are you doing here? Where's Elfman?" The bandit demanded.

A white-haired head appeared behind the bird, and the Strauss sisters inside the room facepalmed. "Mira said that taking care of children was Man, and watching Natsu turn into a Man is Manly, so I, the Manly Elfman, have decided to do both! MAN!" Lucy's eye twitched.

"You are now a Man in my Manly book, Natsu!" the white-haired Take-Over mage cried.

Even Natsu seemed confused by the sentence of Manliness. "Uh, thanks?"

Igneel, behind Lucy, spoke up. "N-Natsu, are you saying... you want this bandit to be your wife?" Igneel knew his son was crazy, from the very beginning. How could he have—

Natsu pulled the blonde close, hands tugging her to his chest. She looked down at the floor, blushing furiously.

"Yeah Dad. This is who I want to be with."

* * *

***Sighs* I'm sure all of you don't appreciate me not updating in... a week and a half. I apologize. Thing's have been happening a lot lately, I have homework, school's starting, shiz has been happening, my own costume, I just haven't found enough time to type. I'm sorry. (I'm also REALLY tired. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have liked the random stuff I was typing. this thing has been half-completed for awhile.) God I'm so tired. So many reviews! Thanks to; Fairy-Tail's-Dragon, Melime14, 1fairytaillover, TheGrammarQueen, LiLyRoSe, BlssomsCherry, paniccatthediscofreak, Sofia3, MythandFairyTailLover, and (I'm espiecially sorry,) Talia!**  
**Elodie: Heh, I just thought that would be the PERFECT disguise to creep someone out. XD Glad you liked it! **  
**PrettyKitty: HRMMM. *evil glint in eye* Interesting... interesting... sorry it took so long for an update. **  
**BitterMondays: DON'T CRY! I-I-I uh... JUST DON'T CRY! HERE'S AN UPDATE!**  
**HikariYume: #4 was closest. :D I MADE IT ALIVE SO I CAN GET YOU MORE UPDATES!**  
**FTastarossa: Natsu says "Hehe!"**

**ERG... gotta go finish those digitigrade legs... ARG save me. (with reviews.)**


	30. Stubborness for the win

**So, I was thinking about changing the title to 'The Chances' but since the story's almost done, there's kinda no point. TC it is! I was also thinking of changing the rating, but I checked on the uncompleted NaLu Friendship fics, and I'M IN THE TOP THREE. I'M IN THIRD PLACE. Do you know how happy that makes me! YAY! Now let's aim for the top!**

* * *

Natsu enfolded Lucy's hand in his and slowly dragged her off the stage; not that there wasn't any resistance. Igneel's jaw had fallen to the floor, Wendy was mildly surprised, Grandine was smiling, and Metalicana and his kids were wondering just what in the hell was going on. Sure, they heard of Spirit the bandit, but this puny golden-blonde girl was _her_? And just why did Natsu just ask her to be his wife?

They were so confused.

Natsu sat down, pulling Lucy beside him onto the chair, ignoring the strange, bewildered looks he got from Sting, Yukino, and Gajeel. Rogue had left for... somewhere. The bandit's cheeks were crimson red, and she was looking down at the floor, mouth opened slightly like she wanted to say something but couldn't. She wondered why her throat just went so dry.

"N-Natsu, what the hell did you just do?" Lucy was just as befuddled as everyone else was. Her thoughts were too scrambled to make any sense of them. Natsu pulled her close in an embrace.

"I didn't like those other girls. Not as much as I liked you. You're a bandit and when I thought you were gone it was like the sun was taken away. Everything I saw reminded me of you and it made me feel sick. But then I smelled you hiding and I asked Freed to put up some Runes so I could get you in the open." He told her, beaming widely.

It took a few seconds for Lucy to speak. "W-Well... it was elaborate... you were the person who stopped where I was hiding." She said, unable to say anything else. She could feel the blood rushing to her face, it was so hot.

"So... do you say yes?" he asked, looking down at the girl his arms were wrapped around.

Lucy smiled back slightly, her face hidden in his chest. He patted her back hard; she was almost tipped off the chair. She growled in response and punched him hard. He really did fall off the seat and crumpled in a heap on the floor. "Y-Yes!" she stammered. "O-Of course! I-I lo—..." She cut herself off, looking beside her.

Only then did she notice that the loud noise of the Dragon Slayer hitting the ground caught everyone's attention. She flushed a bright red, picking Natsu up and putting him on the chair sloppily. Igneel was glaring at her.

"S-Sorry! Nothing to see here..!" She stammered, wanting them to look back at the stage. Natsu smiled cheekily, already a huge red bump appearing on his forehead.

* * *

Lucy and Michelle fidgeted, biting lips hard trying to stay in their seats while Igneel stared at them. Lucy sat in the middle, still wearing the dress she stole, Michelle to her right and a calm Natsu to her left, and in front of her a fierce Dragon Slayer who previously wanted to imprison the bandits. Now, Igneel didn't know what to think.

Natsu had dragged Lucy to the side where the Dragon princes were supposed to sit with their chosen brides, before any of the adults had the chance to speak. They had continued, but quite awkwardly. The event was done and over with, people had gone home, and it was time for Igneel to question...

Just what the hell was going on.

So he asked. "What in the hell is going on?" he demanded. Grandine put a hand on his arm to calm him down. Wendy sat behind them.

Natsu spoke up bravely. "I love Lucy and chose her to be my wife." The bandit blushed crimson at his words, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. Igneel's eye narrowed.

"Lucy?"

Natsu blinked. "That's her real name. Not Spirit." He explained for her, shooting her a smile. Lucy smiled back, but only just. Her face was burning in mortification. She was surrounded by all the Dragneel's, She only had her Keys, placed under her dress, so she was sure that she couldn't reach them before one of the family torched her or blew her away, Michelle was beside her, as helpless as she was—

It was like her worst nightmare.

But she didn't feel as terrible as she thought she would have felt. Natsu was there beside her, so that made everything alright. She blushed a little at the thought. Michelle gave her a mischievous grin, knowing her well enough to know what she was thinking, looking over to the side slightly.

"Tell me the events of what happened since now, because I'm sure we are all very, very confused." Grandine smiled slightly, sending them a wink behind Igneel's back. Lucy frowned, wondering that that meant.

"It kinda started when you told me I was being forced to get married and I left—" Natsu, Lucy, and Michelle explained the story, Natsu saying the most of it, with Michelle piping in every so often, and Lucy barely saying anything from mortification. What if Igneel didn't agree with them? He would throw them in jail, lock them up, and... the bandit didn't even want to know.

Almost as soon as Natsu finished, someone burst through the doors. The people inside the room spun around to look at them. "IGNEEL LUCY ISN'T A BAD PERSON DON'T—" Lisanna stopped, realizing there was no struggle or anything of the sort to yell over. She flushed a bit, and Mira came in after her. Elfman, waiting patiently outside, poked his head through the open door.

"Hello, Strauss family. I take it that Elfman was never sick?" Igneel huffed.

Mira smiled. "Nope. Just an excuse so Elfman could watch Michelle at home."

"Which we're going to have a talk about when we get back." Lucy growled, sending a threatening glance at the two. They swallowed, and even the manly Elfman seemed to shrink.

"What makes you say you're going home?" Igneel inquired. It took two seconds to comprehend. Lucy put a hand over Michelle, Natsu and Lisanna covered Lucy. Mira gasped in the background, and Elfman's eyebrows scrunched up together. Even Wendy, who had remained quiet until now, moved around the desk and covered the bandit with her tiny arms stretched out.

"Even you, Wendy?" Igneel seemed surprised. He never knew his daughter was in on this. He shook it off. "But as much as Natsu want to marry her, people simply would not accept a princess as someone who once stole from them." He pointed out. He simply couldn't see it.

"I don't care." Natsu growled, covering Lucy protectively.

"But—"

"_Protect what is dear to you with your life;_ I don't care about her past, I love her. She is dear to me, and Dad, I won't let you past me if you're planning to tear us apart." Igneel seemed impressed. With the dangerous, protective look in his son's eyes, he reconsidered. Natsu ever looked like this, even in a fight.

Igneel had seen that look only once before in his life. A band of thieves had attacked Dragneel castle, and one of the bandit's tried to hurt Natsu's little sister. The look in his eyes was similar. Something dark and dangerous and promising that he would pound you to the ground if you even touched a hair on a person's head.

The older Dragon Slayer thought, for what felt like a long time.

"I'm proud of you son." Igneel started. Natsu faltered for a split second before resuming his glaring. _He wouldn't let Lucy go, not again._ No matter what his father said.

"I suppose if you love this girl that much, I can't stop you... You've always been stubborn anyways." The pink-haired Dragon Slayer blinked, but then his face stretched into a grin when he understood. He spun around, barreling into Lucy and hugging her tightly, making them both fall back onto the ground. Lucy 'omphed,' wincing when her butt hit the floor, but giggled when Natsu nuzzled her neck happily.

He kissed her fiercely, and Lucy pressed back with just as much effort. The room filled with clapping. She looked up in surprise. Mira, Lisanna, Elfman, Igneel, Grandine, Wendy, and little Michelle started clapping loudly. Lucy beamed as Natsu picked himself up, sitting on the floor beside her, keeping his arm around her waist. Lucy's eyes filled with tears, but they were happy ones.

She had friends, she had a family, Michelle was finally safe, and the best part, she had someone she could put her absolute faith in. Lucy looked beside her, wiping water from her eyes, smiling brightly as Natsu was. She loved him, with all her heart.

It was the best day of her life.

* * *

Lucy wrinkled her nose at the room. "I still can't believe you sleep here." She said, looking around at Natsu's room littered with junk. The boy smiled sheepishly, both already in their pajamas.

"I don't clean it much." He admitted. Lucy bent down, lifting up an old shirt that looked small enough for a toddler lying on the floor. Her eyes widened and she dropped it quickly. She had _never _seen something _growing_ that shade of purple before. And gosh, did it smell.

"Are you sure this isn't a safety hazard?" The ex-bandit inquired, watching carefully where she stepped. "Your room is a total mess." She nearly squealed when her foot landed beside a mouldy piece of half-eaten bread.

Natsu paused, thinking for a moment. "You wanna know what, what about we just go to the room you were sleeping in for the competition? I think my bed's too small for both of us anyways." He pointed out. Lucy nodded quickly and gratefully, tiptoeing past the garbage and exiting the room as fast as she could. Their hands folded in each others; it was the perfect fit, and they walked together until they reached Lucy's old space. Lucy giggled when she saw the hole Natsu blew in the door, still not fixed yet.

Seeing the bed, Lucy yawned loudly, realizing just how tired she was. Natsu chuckled, looking over at her. "Tired?" he teased. She nodded, flumping down on the bed in a heap. The Dragon Slayer smiled and moved to the other side, lifting the blanket so he could slip in. He lifted Lucy easily, tucking her in next to him.

She opened her eyes sleepily. "I love you, Natsu." She told him. He wrapped him arms around her, tucking her in close, breathing in her scent. She honestly did have a nice one. Like vanilla and lilacs.

He smiled.

"I love you too." Lucy entwined her legs with his; lifting her head to kiss him sweetly, before her head fell slightly and she pulled herself closer to him. Natsu brushed some hair tickling her nose; it was twitching like a rabbit's. His chest rumbled in a chuckle, and finally, he lowered his head, kissed her forehead, and his eyes closed.

* * *

**Phoo! Finally got that aside. I'm pretty sure you guys aren't happy with the late updates. Sorry, I'm a Halloween-crazy girl. I make my costume almost every year. (Epic Quadsuits for the win!) I promise, after Halloween, I'll go back to regular updates. :3**

**REVIEWS! (Gosh I love you guys. THIRD IN REVIEWS! when I found out I bounced around my house screaming. Seriously.) Thank you UnicornGirl25, CamoGirl14, LiLyRoSe, Guest, Jettstar, Dogs paw burning in hot ash, Fairy-tail's-dragon, ElodieKumari, LyricsGirl, 1fairytaillover, Elie-Glory, Sofia3, TheGrammarQueen, and PrettyKitty! Hearts to all! 3 **

**Metorite103: AWHH! Thank you so much! The plot idea kinda came to me randomly, actually. I didn't like the idea of Lucy being 'a weak whiny blonde,' and I kinda wanted to make fun of Natsu by making him a prince and sticking him out like a sore thumb. XD it worked, and people seem to like it. Thanks so much for reviewing!  
Ilovecherrypie: Thanks! I was estatic when I found out my story was in third place for uncompleted reviewed stories. I FEEL ACCOMPLISHED. XD  
Hikari: actually, I've recently started to ship Sting/Meredy, after a forum that I started RPing in. It's the only crack pairing I ship, and I know it's weird. I also ship StiKino, but I've grown fond of StiEredy, weird I know. SPEAK WOMAN/MAN SPEAK!  
SnowDragonSlayerTasha: D-DONT CRY! Here, here's an update!  
Fallen Angel 128: HMMM... I want... lemon meringue pie... mmm... *starts dreaming about desserts* yummm...**


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